Energized (29 page)

N
IALL
HESITATED
OUTSIDE
of the pristine hospital room. He'd already checked on Hannah, but she was in X-ray at the moment, making sure the pole that had pierced her leg hadn't broken any bones. She didn't need him right now, and Ross did.

His brother sat with his back to the door at Paulie's bedside. Ross's shoulders shook in his hospital gown and robe as he sobbed, clutching Paulie's hand.

“I swear if you wake up, I'll stop drinking. I'll tell the whole world. I'll do anything you want. Please, please don't leave me.” Ross sniffled. “Paulie, they told me you tried to save me. That has to mean something, right? It has to mean that no matter how much I disappointed you, you still love me. Oh God, please don't leave me.”

Niall's chest ached for his brother. He couldn't imagine how hard this must be for Ross. Clearly, Ross's feelings for Paulie had gone deeper than even Niall had guessed. He only hoped Paulie knew how much he was loved.

“Please don't leave me,” Ross whispered to Paulie again.

And Niall's heart squeezed more. He'd uttered those same words hours earlier to Hannah. He wanted to go to Ross and tell him it would be okay, but truth was, the doctors weren't sure Paulie would ever wake up. Maybe it would be best to give them some privacy.

He started to back up and bumped into a pretty platinum blond nurse who'd been headed into the room. “Sorry,” he said at the same time she said, “Excuse me.”

Ross turned his bloodshot eyes to Niall. He scrubbed his wet cheeks with one hand, still clutching Paulie's hand with the other. “So now you know. What are you going to do?”

The anger in his eyes didn't mask the fear or the despair. Before Niall could respond the nurse spoke.

“Paulie's looking much better.” She checked the various machines that beeped rhythmically in the room.

The young chef lay unconscious in the bed. The white room, sheets, and blanket gave his normally Mediterranean look a sallow complexion. If this was better, Niall hated to imagine what he'd looked like when he'd been brought in.

The nurse took Paulie's pulse, and stared at her wrist to time it. Without glancing away from her task, she said, “I'm coming to your room in five minutes to take your vitals, Ross.”

“Can't you do it in here, Erin? I don't want to leave. What if Paulie wakes up while I'm gone? He'll be all alone.” Ross reclaimed his seat and pressed a kiss to his lover's hand. The move was tender and intimate. So natural. Why hadn't he seen Ross do that before? Why hadn't he noticed his brother's feelings for Paulie went deeper than friendship?

Erin tossed a calculating look Niall's way, then nodded. “I'll make you a deal. You can stay in here if you promise not to go on a walkabout. We need to make sure all those nasty drugs are out of your system, okay?”

Ross nodded, then ran a finger down Paulie's cheek. “I promise. I won't leave.”

Erin nodded and left.

Niall doubted Ross's promise had been made to her. Ross hadn't taken his eyes off Paulie when he spoke. He seemed
as unable to leave him as Niall had been to leave Hannah trapped in the kitchen.

He crossed the room and took Paulie's free hand, then waited until his brother looked at him. With a deep breath, Niall said, “Nothing.”

Ross screwed up his face. “Nothing? What are you talking about?”

“You asked me what I was going to do about you finally admitting you're gay.” Niall shrugged. “Nothing. I've always known.”

Ross's jaw went slack, and he slowly shook his head. “You couldn't have.”

“Do you remember when I came home from boot camp with Angelo?” Niall asked, then grinned at Ross's expression. “You were twelve and you got that same look on your face the first time you saw him.”

“You can't tell me you knew. I heard you telling him to stay away from me—”

“Yeah, you were
twelve
. I'd have kicked his ass if he'd touched you. You were a kid.” Niall conceded the point. “Gay, yes, but still a child. I didn't want anyone to take advantage of my kid brother. You deserved someone who'd love you. And trust me, Angelo was not that guy.”

Ross lowered his head, resting it on Paulie's hand. “Why didn't you tell me?”

“I figured when you wanted to talk about it, you would. It's not like I walked up to you and said, ‘Hey, I'm straight.' It didn't matter to me who you loved, as long as they loved you and treated you with respect.” Niall frowned because Ross's shoulders shook again. Ah, crap. He hadn't meant to make him cry.

“So does that mean you're out of the closet?” Paulie's words were weak but clear.

Ross's head snapped up.

The chef's eyes fluttered several times before they finally opened to slits. “Does this mean I'll finally get invited to dinner with your parents?”

“Yes!” Ross popped out of his chair and rained kisses
down on Paulie's face. “Yes. Yes. If you still want me, then definitely, yes.”

The machines in the room beeped and popped. In seconds, Erin was back. The spitfire blonde shooed Niall and Ross into the hallway. “Welcome back, Paulie. Great to see you.”

Niall clapped his brother on the shoulder and was stunned when Ross threw his arms around him. His brother hadn't willingly hugged him since he'd joined the Marines. Until this moment, he hadn't realized how much he'd missed him.

“Thank you,” Ross said when he pulled away. He used his open robe to wipe the tears from his cheeks. “Paulie had broken it off with me a few weeks ago because I wouldn't tell you about us. He said he wouldn't be shamed into silence.”

“Ah, the drinking binge.”

“Yes.” Ross lifted his shoulders, then let them sag again. “He called me a coward. Guess I was.”

“You're not a coward and you're not a kid anymore.” Niall took his baby brother by both shoulders and stared into his eyes. “You faced down a serial killer. No, don't look away from me. Michael would have killed you. He damn near killed Paulie. You both survived it.

“It would be cowardly to sink into a bottle and pretend this didn't happen. But you're not doing that. You've been by his bed when you should have been resting. You can make it through this together.”

Ross's eyes brimmed but he lifted his chin. “If I'm not a kid anymore does that mean you're going to stop coming down on me?”

Niall winced at a truth that didn't sit well with him. “I promise to try. And I'll start by handing you the reins to the catering side of the business when the Boxing Cat is back up and running again. I'll keep my nose out of it, unless you ask for my help.”

“Seriously?” Ross's face lit up. “And Paulie?”

“What about him? He still works for the Cat. He can cater with you if that's what you both want.” Niall patted his brother's shoulder. “He was badly beaten. It won't be an easy road for him. Given what I just saw in there, I think he'll recover
faster with you at his side. I think you both will. I heard you promise not to leave him. So don't.”

“I won't. Not ever again.” The fierce determination in Ross's eyes reminded him of Hannah.

“Good.” He clapped his brother on the shoulders again. “Now go back in there and be with the one you love.”

“Where are you headed?” Ross called out when Niall was halfway to the elevator.

“To kiss the one I love.”

*   *   *

H
ANNAH HOBBLED ON
crutches to the door of Shelley's hospital room. She paused at the conversation inside.

“You should be on your honeymoon, Jules,” Shelley said, then grunted. “I'm fine.”

“Right. You have a broken arm and severe concussion, but you're fine. Good thing for you, I'm here. Who would fluff your pillow for you if I wasn't?” Jules asked, her tone teasing. Shuffling noises indicated she moved from her chair next to the bed to do exactly that.

“I have a husband and a son, you know.”

“And where are they?” Jules asked.

“Beau is back home with Karma and hopefully getting some sleep. Dev is at the station finishing paperwork,” Shelley replied with a note of amusement in her tone. “I hope Hannah gets here soon. Dev said the doctor wasn't going to admit her. Just wanted to run a few X-rays. I still can't believe we both survived that explosion.”

“I'm glad that psycho didn't survive.” Jules's words cut a swath of uncomfortable silence and kept Hannah hovering by the door.

“That's a little vicious for you, isn't it?” Shelley briefly met Hannah's gaze. A white bandage wrapped around her bruised head. Her right eye was swollen and discolored from the blow she'd received at the restaurant. The sight had Hannah's stomach jittering.

“Maybe, but he tried to kill my sisters. Both of them.” Her words came out as if she choked back tears. “I couldn't
imagine losing you again after getting to know you. And I haven't even had a chance to talk to Hannah. He could have stolen her from me before I ever heard her voice.”

“I'm here,” Hannah said, hoisting herself awkwardly across the threshold. “The X-rays are all clear. No broken bones.”

Jules pushed to her feet. Her straight red hair was pulled up in a ponytail that swung to the collar of her blue sundress. A huge smile on her face, she crossed the room with her arms wide. “Hannah!”

In seconds, Hannah was engulfed in a huge hug. The scent of strawberries wrapped around her. There was something so familiar about being hugged and smelling strawberries. Some faint memory of dolls and sunshine on green grass. And laughter.

“I remember you,” Hannah said, tears clogging her throat. “We used to play with something in the backyard. Dolls?” She glanced from Jules to where Shelley lay in the bed with her arm trussed up in a cast. “And you used to bandage a stray dog's paw, then give it treats for being a good patient.”

Shelley nodded, her lips quivering but smiling. “Sounds like us.”

“I remember that,” Hannah said again in delighted surprise. “I thought the only things I would remember would be the memories I lifted when I touched something that belonged to you. But I remember that.”

Jules burst into tears. Big, loud, noisy sobs that had Shelley rolling her eyes. “Don't mind her. She got all weepy the first time she saw me too. Sit here and let her get it out of her system.”

“I did not. I helped you get a kitten out of your bra,” Jules replied with a scowl and sniffed. “But sit, Hannah. You should have your leg up, right? That's what Dev said.”

“Wow, Dev really stayed on top of the doctors here.”

“Had to. He needed it for the paperwork.” Shelley winked. “This is the biggest case to hit Tidewater in fifteen years. And Dev got the collar.”

Shelley pumped her good fist twice in the air.

“A little proud?” Hannah asked.

“Super proud.”

Hannah took the chair next to the bed and allowed a very weepy Jules to fuss over her for a few minutes. Finally, Jules dragged over a second chair and sat.

“I wanted to surprise you at the wedding reception,” Hannah admitted. She circled a finger in the air to indicate the sterile walls. “This wasn't exactly the place I had in mind for a family reunion.”

“Could be worse,” Shelley said, handing Jules the box of tissues. “At least you're here. If, uh, you're going to be in town for a while, we'd like to spend a little time with you.”

“Yes, no pressure though.” Jules nodded, then pitched the used tissue into the wastepaper basket. “Oh, who am I kidding? I don't care about pressure. You could've died at the hands of a psycho tonight. So, I intend to spend every second I can getting to know you. I can't believe I found you and almost lost you all in the same day.”

Jules dissolved into tears again.

Shelley rolled her eyes and shrugged. “Give her a little more time. It's been a long day for her. She supposed to be on her
honeymoon
and not sitting in a hospital room.”

Jules gave her a watery glare, then blew her nose. “Seth understands that I need to be here. Do you really think he's complaining? He's at the station with Dev closing the case on that psycho Mercy-Michael.”

Hannah shivered at the mention of Mercy's name.

Shelley rubbed a consoling hand on Hannah's arm. “You okay, Han?”

“I guess. It's just—” Hannah cut herself off and gave her head a sharp shake. “Never mind.”

“No, talk to us.” Jules sat on the bed facing Hannah and Shelley. “We're family. We want to know.”

Hannah considered changing the subject. Had planned to do exactly that but when she opened her mouth the words spilled out. “Being in Michael's head was terrifying. He wasn't always damaged. He was tortured by his mother and his sister for years. His mother had some twisted hatred of men. She killed them in front of him. I don't think he ever
understood why she didn't kill him too. She and his sister tortured a confused little boy until he snapped.”