“I didn’t give you anything.” That was true, as far as it went.
“Actually, I remember you standing in front of me and someone touching me on the neck. How could Death get around me without me seeing him?” Bart glowered at Pest.
“It’s a gift of his.” He couldn’t tell Bart the truth. “Are you sure something happened? Maybe you just passed out.”
Bart folded his arms and leaned his ass on the table. His green eyes were hazy, but Pest could tell the sleep spell was slowly wearing off.
“Don’t bullshit me, Pestilence.”
Pest winced at Bart’s use of his full name. “Fine. I don’t know what Death did to you. He didn’t tell me what he planned. I was going to drug you, but I guess he thought his way would be easier.”
“Why do that at all?” Bart rubbed his jaw, a frown marring his forehead. “I don’t get motion sickness or anything like that. The only problem we would have had was with my passport. Jasper and the others took all my stuff when they dumped me.”
“Right. We didn’t travel the usual way, so your passport wouldn’t have mattered.”
Bart glanced around and finally seemed to realize they were in his condo.
“What the fuck? How did we get here? How did you know where I lived?”
Pest sighed, and shoved his hand through his hair. “All right. I’ll give you a few answers, but you have to realize I’m not really supposed to tell you anything. What little you know already is bad enough.”
“Just tell me, Pest. I know you’re a Horseman, though I don’t know what that is exactly.”
“We have the power to travel between places without actually having to take a plane or car. It has something to do with our horses. Well, I’m not completely sure they are horses. I think they are magical creatures whose existence is to help us, the Horsemen, do our jobs. We sort of disintegrate and re-materialize wherever we needed to be.” Pest frowned. “I’m not very clear on how that works, and Death wouldn’t go into any more detail when I asked. I don’t think he totally understood the physics behind it either.”
“How did you know where I live?” Bart figured he’d need a chart or graphs to understand how they’d traveled to the U.S., so he was willing to let it go for now.
“Umm…I knew your name. It wasn’t that hard to get the information I needed to get you back here. That didn’t take any special power, just time with a computer.” Pest grinned.
Someone knocked on the door before Bart could ask any more questions. Pest opened the door to find a plump young man standing in the doorway, hand up to knock again.
“Oh dear.” The kid’s eyes widened at the sight of Pest. “I didn’t realize Bart had sublet his place. I guess he didn’t plan on coming back any time soon. Can you tell me where he found you, because I’d like one just like you.”
“Kerry, what are you doing here?” Bart pushed Pest out of the way and gestured for the young man to come inside.
“Oh my God, I thought for sure you were dead.” Kerry threw his arms around Bart and hugged him.
Bart grunted, and embraced Kerry back. Pest was happy Bart was no longer contagious.
Pest chuckled and headed toward the kitchen. He’d familiarized himself while waiting for Bart to sleep off Death’s spell. He’d started the coffee pot, figuring the caffeine would help Bart get rid of the last vestiges.
He turned back to ask, “Do you guys want some coffee?”
“Yes, please.” Kerry barely managed to lift his eyes from staring at Pest’s ass.
Bart rolled his eyes before nodding. Pest winked at Kerry and headed to get the mugs. While he poured the coffee and pulled out the plate of sandwiches he’d made earlier, he kept an ear on the conversation going on in the living room.
“When did you get back?” Kerry sounded surprised.
“Earlier today,” Bart said.
“Ah. I came over to check on things. Of course, the word on the street is you died in the jungle, man. The other professors came back. They’re real sick though. No one’s talked to them for a month or so.”
Pest’s ears perked up. Kerry might be a good source of information. Death had got them the name of the facility where Jasper and the other men were being quarantined, plus all the paperwork and identification informing the people in charge of Pest’s persona as a leading infectious disease doctor.
He snorted silently. Hell yes, he was
the
leading infectious disease authority in the world. No one knew more about them and how to counteract them. Of course, he was usually giving them to people, and it usually didn’t bode well for those he touched. Gave a man a complex, knowing he could kill a person just by touching their skin.
“Jasper and the others are sick? I’ve been lost in the jungle for several months. Finally found my way home.” Bart played innocent.
“Did you find that guy in the jungle? Are there any more like him?”
Kerry’s undisguised interest brought a smile to Pest’s face, even though at twenty-one, which was Pest’s educated guess on Kerry’s age, the kid was too young for Pest to make a move on him. Technically, Bart was as well, considering how old Pest really was, but there was a maturity in Bart he admired.
“Kerry, focus, and not on Pest. He’s definitely out of your league, my friend.”
“And he’s totally in yours, right?”
Bart’s exasperation showed in his heavy sigh. “I didn’t say that. Actually, I think he’s out of both of our leagues. Tell me what you’ve heard about Jasper and the others.”
Pest chose that moment to stroll in from the kitchen with the coffee and sandwiches. “I thought everyone might be hungry as well. I know we didn’t have a chance to eat before we left Brazil this morning.”
Kerry eyed the sandwiches, but shook his head. “No, I better pass. I’ve been trying to lose some weight.”
“Why? I think you look good the way you are.” Pest handed Kerry his mug and smiled.
The kid blushed and ducked his head. “Yeah, well, you’re the only one who thinks so. I haven’t been able to get a date since I got here. I think they all see me as the lovable sidekick, not the hot hero.”
“Being the hot hero isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. People expect you to be perfect all the time and you can’t ever have a bad day where you just want to rip someone’s head off for looking at you wrong. You have to be on a hundred percent of the time.” Pest shook his head. “I’d much rather be the sidekick. I could make people laugh and be funny without worrying about how anyone looked at me. I would rather make someone laugh or smile than make them pant with lust.”
Bart eyed him. “Seriously?”
Pest shrugged. “Lust has its place in a relationship, but so does laughter and just plain having fun with each other.”
“Hmmm…” Bart didn’t sound convinced.
“Whatever. Kerry, could you tell us what else you know about Jasper and the other professors? I have to admit I’m curious to examine them and see what they might have brought back from the rainforest.”
“Why would you?” Kerry wrinkled his nose in disgust. “They say whatever it was is pretty terrible. Like boils and open sores. Disgusting.”
“I was doing my own research in the Amazon when I ran across Bart here. I took him in and helped get him home. When we reached Rio, we heard news about the illness overtaking the rest of the expedition party.” Pest settled back in his chair and crossed one leg over the other. “I’m an infectious disease doctor, specializing in undiscovered viruses. I do believe this is one of them. So I’m curious about seeing them.”
Bart pursed his lips and raised his eyebrows at Pest’s explanation. With him out cold, Pest couldn’t let him know what their back-story was going to be. Pest could only hope Bart went along with it because Pest needed to see those other men.
“Everyone’s going to be so excited you’re back, Bart. We were sure you’d died in the jungle. Dr. Jones didn’t really have time to explain what happened. They got back and within a day or two, the CDC had them quarantined. No one’s been able to see them.”
Pest sipped his coffee and ate his sandwich while Bart and Kerry caught up on everything that had happened in the time Bart was gone. As much as Pest wanted to hurry and see the patients, he also needed to go and get some clothes. What he wore in the jungle wasn’t appropriate for the rest of the world.
They finished and Pest took all the plates and cups into the kitchen. He rinsed them while Bart and Kerry continued talking. When he came back out, they were silent, just sitting there. He glanced between them and smiled.
“How would you like to take me clothes shopping, Kerry? I’m afraid I don’t own anything nice enough to meet with the doctors and authorities.”
Kerry’s brown eyes lit up as he nodded eagerly. “I’d love to go with you. Are you going with us?”
Bart nodded. “Yeah, I am. I’m not sure about letting you two loose on an unsuspecting public.”
“Hey.” They protested, but Bart just waved his hand at them as he wandered toward the bedroom.
“I’ll change and we can head out.”
Pest turned back to look at Kerry. “How do you know Bart?”
“He was my professor for one of my graduate classes. After I passed, we became friends. He’s really helped me become more self-confident and everything. I was really upset when I heard he’d died in the jungle.”
“If you heard that, then why did you come over here?”
Kerry ducked his head. “Like I said, I came over to check on things, maybe start packing his stuff up. I don’t know. Bart is pretty much my only friend and I didn’t like the idea of him not being around anymore. Besides, I never did like Dr. Jones. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out the man left Bart behind. He just used him for his intelligence. Bart’s really smart, you know.”
“I know. If Dr. Jones left Bart behind, karma paid him back for his actions, don’t you think?” Pest put his hand on Kerry’s shoulder and squeezed.
“I’m not sure I believe in karma or fate.” Kerry shrugged.
“I do and I can tell you, assholes—like Dr. Jones seems to be—are always paid back in kind.” Pest spoke from his centuries of experience, seeing how the bad people did to others would come back and bite them on the ass.
“Let’s go.”
Bart walked past them and went to the door, opening it and gesturing for them to follow him. They left the condo and hailed a cab to take them to the nearest clothing store.
* * * *
Three hours and a lot of Pest’s money later, they returned to Bart’s condo, exhausted but happy. Pest had got the clothes he needed and spent time with Bart in the man’s natural territory. It gave Pest a hint to Bart’s true personality.
Bart never dismissed any suggestion Kerry made about clothes. He didn’t make fun of Kerry’s opinions after making sure Kerry voiced them. He encouraged his friend at every opportunity and Pest could see Kerry’s confidence grow by the minute. The man Pest might be falling in love with seemed to be a good guy, caring and friendly.
Kerry took his leave when they got all the bags inside. Pest thought about hanging the clothes up, but he spotted the flush coloring Bart’s cheeks and decided his friend needed to get some sleep.
“Why do you go and lie down? I’m sure the fever’s spiking again. I’ll brew up some of the herbs for you.” He cradled Bart’s face in his hand.
Bart nuzzled closer in his hand. “Thanks. I guess I’m not as well as I thought.”
“Something tells me this fever will be the one thing you keep from your expedition in the Amazon.” He could tell Bart wanted to say something, but he didn’t let him. “Just go get in bed. I’ll be right in with your tea.”
He watched Bart stumble a little as he made his way to his bedroom. He should have kept an eye on Bart and cut their shopping trip short the minute he’d seen the fever coming back. Thank God he’d done some tests beforehand and had determined Bart was cured, except for the fever.
After gathering the pouches, he went into the kitchen and brewed up the herbal tea. He added honey instead of agave syrup. He poured a cup and took it into the bedroom. Bart was already curled up under the blankets, his eyes closed and his breathing labored.
“Here.” He sat on the edge of the bed and helped Bart sit up enough to drink the hot liquid. “Take it easy. It’s still pretty hot.”
Bart blew on the tea and his pursed lips made Pest’s cock perk up in interest. He shifted slightly at the constriction of his pants, but it wasn’t the right time to do anything about his lust. Bart needed to rest and Pest needed to do some research.
“Are you and Death like the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?”
Pest froze at Bart’s question. Uneasiness ran through him and he wondered what Bart had heard while Death was around.
“Why ask this now? Why didn’t you ask while we were in the jungle? Anyway, how could we be when there’s only two of us?” His laughter sounded forced.
“I was too caught up in trying to live. I didn’t really think about your name, or his for that matter. He called you Pestilence, and his name is Death. Those are some pretty gruesome nicknames if you aren’t.” Bart lay back down, but kept his gaze on Pest. “How did you become friends?”
“I wouldn’t call us friends, per se. We work together, so we’re colleagues.” Pest tucked the blankets around Bart’s shoulders before standing.
“What do you do? You used to be a doctor, but what do you do now? Why can’t you touch anyone without a layer of leather between your skin and theirs? And I doubt it has anything to do with being afraid of germs.”
Pest held up his black leather-covered hands. “I fear germs very much, Bart, though it’s more for others whom I touch that I worry. I’m immune to disease and illness. Have been since I became what I am.”
“What are you? What is Death? And is Lam one of you?”
Bart’s eyes drooped and Pest knew it was only a matter of seconds before Bart would fall asleep. The herbs brought the fever down, but they also acted like a sedative. Pest leaned down and brushed a kiss over Bart’s forehead.
“Sleep, honey. You can interrogate me later when you wake up.”
“I’ll keep asking until you tell me the truth, Pest. I want to know all your secrets.”
Pest watched Bart drift into slumber. “Something tells me you might come to regret my saving your life,” Pest mumbled as he left Bart to sleep.