Roth wiped his face with both hands. "I feel like I've fallen through the rabbit hole into Wonderland."

At that moment, we heard the door open and Thresh speaking in low tones to someone on the other side. "I hear what you're saying, Doc. We'll let him rest. But this is important."

"He shouldn't even have one visitor," a female voice said, sounding frustrated, "let alone four. And just because you're a f.u.c.king giant doesn't mean you can tell me what to do in my ward."

"Actually, it kind of does. You don't have enough security guards in this entire building to handle me. Which means when I say it'll be fine, it'll be fine. Our meeting will be over in a few minutes and we'll all leave him to rest. All right?"

"s.h.i.t." This was mumbled, exasperated and defeated. "Fine. But you all need face masks and you have to sanitize your hands. His immune system is weak right now. The last thing he needs is to catch something from one of you."

"Chuck Norris doesn't get a cold, the cold gets Chuck Norris."

"What?" She sounded utterly puzzled.

"Nothing. It's a joke. Never mind. We'll wash our f.u.c.king hands, okay?"

"Face masks too. Or I'll shoot your giant a.s.s with an elephant tranquilizer and drag you out of here myself."

"I've been shot with an elephant tranquilizer, actually. It just got me high. Kind of fun actually. You wanna try that, you'll need two or three." I heard the grin in his voice. "And babe, you want to drag me out of here, you won't need a tranquilizer. It'll be more fun if I'm conscious anyway."

"Jesus. You're a piece of work, you know that?"

"Been told that, yes."

"I'm going to lunch. When I come back in thirty minutes, I want this room clear. Or we really will see how many security guards it takes to subdue your freakishly oversized carca.s.s."

"Honey-"

"You say one d.a.m.n word about bondage, and I'll stab you with my shears."

Thresh just chuckled. "We'll be gone in fifteen minutes. You have my word."

"You'd better be." And then she and Thresh left the room.

The door opened once more, admitting Thresh with Sasha behind him. Thresh had a handful of paper masks, which he handed to everyone, and then made us all use the hand sanitizing foam from the dispenser just inside the door. Thresh took up position in front of the door, and Sasha moved into the interior of the room, standing at the front of the bed near Harris.

"This meeting is regarding a certain Greek friend we all have in common," Thresh said. "After Harris's latest...encounter...there was some doubt as to his situation or whereabouts. I tasked Sasha here with finding him."

Harris adjusted the cannula in his nose, sucking in deep breaths slowly. "And?"

Sasha pulled an iPad Mini out of the cargo pocket of his pants. "I found him, and took some selfies. Here. You see." He opened the iPad, tapped on the Photos icon, and handed the device to Harris. I leaned close so I could see the pic as well. Sure enough, it was a selfie of Sasha and Vitaly.

Vitaly was in a hospital bed, wired for sound, it looked like: IVs, oxygen, food tube, a bunch of other stuff. Vitaly was unconscious, and Sasha was grinning as if they were long-lost friends reunited.

"Swipe left," Sasha instructed.

Harris swiped left. Sasha had a syringe inserted into part of the IV tube, the photo taken with his thumb on the plunger, another s.h.i.t-eating grin on his face. The next showed him with the plunger depressed. The next photo showed the monitor, with the heart rate flat-lined.

"I make a distraction in another room first, so when he dies, they don't notice so quickly," Sasha said. "I put another dose into his tube, just to be sure. I also unplugged the life support. He would not have made it anyway, I do not think, but now...our friend is dancing with the demons."

Roth took the iPad from Harris, swiping through the pics several times, clearly struggling with some deep emotion. "He's really gone?" He glanced at Sasha.

"I am sure of this," Sasha answered. "I put a mirror to his nose. Felt his heart. Long minutes I waited. He is dead. I am one hundred percent positive."

Roth sighed, leaning back in the chair. "It's over. It's really over." He wiped his face again with both hands. "He took me in, when I was a clueless twenty year-old kid with more money and ambition than common sense or business skill. He taught me everything I know about being a smart businessman. More than I ever learned from my own father. He didn't even hold it against me when I left, even though I killed one of his men. He got it. He let me go. It wasn't until his crazy b.i.t.c.h of a daughter found me that any of this even happened. I never had a grudge against him. Not until he threatened all of you. I should be glad he's dead. And I am, mostly. But part of me..."

I kept my own opinion to myself. I felt nothing but relief that Vitaly was truly dead and I wouldn't waste a single second mourning him.

"Name your price, Sasha. Sky's the limit." Roth handed the iPad back and stood up.

Sasha didn't answer immediately. "One million," he said, finally.

"Two million," Roth said. "You'll have it by noon."

Sasha opened his mouth as if to argue, but then thought better of it. "Thank you, sir."

"All right. You and Thresh can go. Post a guard on the ward, just to be sure."

"I will cover it myself," Sasha said.

Thresh made a negative sound in his throat. "I got it. Me and the doc have a thing. A repertoire."

Harris snorted. "You mean rapport, lunkhead."

"Yeah. That. A thing. She's feisty, and she's not afraid to get in my face. I like it."

Thresh and Sasha left, and it was just Harris, Kyrie, Roth, and me.

Harris rubbed his jaw and fiddled with the cannula again. "So. You two lovebirds can have your wedding now. No one else will get in the way."

"Harris, you don't think we'd have it without you, do you?" Kyrie asked. "You're like family."

"She's right, Harris," Roth said. "I've known you for eight years. We can wait until you're better."

"I'll be on oxygen for a while. Won't be bouncing back from this one too fast, I'm afraid." He gave Roth a hard look. "Take a video for me."

"Harris, come on-" Kyrie started.

"Miss St. Claire." Harris's voice was cold. "I'm not asking. Get married. You've waited long enough. Take some pictures and send 'em along. That'll be enough. We'll have a toast to your happiness when I can get out of here."

"He's right," I said. "You two shouldn't have to wait. You deserve your happiness together."

Harris shot me serious side-eye. "You think I'm letting you sit around at my bedside when your best friend is getting married? Think again, sweetheart. You're going with them."

"The f.u.c.k I am!" I said, almost shouting. "I'm not leaving you."

"Kyrie, Roth...can you give us a second?" Harris didn't take his eyes off me.

"Sure." Roth stood up and followed Kyrie out of the room.

Alone, Harris pulled me closer to him, wrapped a hand around the base of my spine so I was flush against the bed. "Layla. I want you to listen to me, okay?"

"f.u.c.k that, you idiot. I'm not going anywhere."

He just smiled at me. "Babe. You are. You're going with them. You're her maid of honor. Her best friend. You can come right back, but this is how I want it. I hate weddings anyway. I look stupid in suits and can't stand sitting down for that long."

"Bulls.h.i.t. You're a pilot. You're used to sitting for hours."

"Layla. This isn't up for debate. You're going."

"You told Kyrie you were primarily a pilot with the Rangers. But then Thresh told me how you stood over him when that orphanage mission went bad."

He blinked at me. "Change of topic. Okay. Um...well, number one, he shouldn't be talking about that mission. It's so cla.s.sified only four people on the planet even know it ever happened. It would have started an international conflict if it had been public knowledge. Number two, what Thresh didn't tell you was that I was only part of that mission as a pilot. I wasn't with the insertion team. I was the extraction pilot."

"He told me the helicopter was. .h.i.t by a rocket."

"It was. Took out the engine, went into a flat spin two hundred feet up. I rode it down and jumped clear just before it hit. Rolled my ankle and dislocated my shoulder and had the hair burnt off my f.u.c.king arms. He was already down by then, and most of the team was dead. The bad guys were swarming like f.u.c.king ants, and I owed Thresh my life, so I did the only thing I could. I picked up his rifle and held them off. Wasn't much choice. It was that or let them capture us."

"You jumped out of a crashing helicopter?"

"Not as bada.s.s as it sounds. More a matter of timing and knowing how to fall."

"Harris."

He grinned. "Okay, fine. It was pretty bada.s.s."

"I'm staying."

His expression darkened. "Layla. Please. The only thing I hate more than being bedridden is the idea of holding up Kyrie and Roth's wedding. They've been through a ton of s.h.i.t. I refuse to let them wait three or four months just for me. It's not going to be a big deal anyway. Just them and you and Cal and the reverend on the beach on Roth's private island. I won't be missing anything, I swear. You do the wedding, party with your best friend, and then come back here to me."

"Nick, I don't want to leave you. What if something else happens?"

"Vitaly is dead. His daughter is dead. Cut is dead. There's no one else to carry out the grudge. It's over. You're safe. They're safe. You don't need to be afraid, okay?" He cupped my cheek. "You can Skype me when you get there. We can...what would you call s.e.xting, but with Skpe?"

"Skype-s.e.x?" I suggested.

He shook his head. "Not catchy enough. I'll think of something. Point is, you're going. I'm just going to be sleeping for the next few days anyway."

I sighed. "I don't like it. I'm still adjusting to the idea that this thing between us is real. And now I've got to leave you when you're wounded?"

"Thresh will be here and Sasha will be with you. Alexei and Andrei are with Kyrie and Roth. Nothing else will happen. And as for you and me...Layla, babe. It's real. We're real. I really love you. Which is why I'm making you go."

I rested my cheek against his. "Say it again."

"I love you, Layla."

I sighed. "That will never get old."

He tipped my face to his, and kissed me. The cannula was cold and hard against my upper lip, but I didn't care. I'd take his kisses however I could get them.

"Fine." I breathed the word against his mouth. "I'll go. But I'm coming back as soon as the reception is over. And I'm sucking you off before I leave."

Nick just smiled and feathered his fingers through my hair, then swept his thumb across my lips. "Why wait?"

I giggled; only Nick could make me giggle. It was embarra.s.sing. "Why wait, indeed?" I slid my hand under the blanket, under the gown, found him hardening under my touch. "Watch the door."

"I'm gonna watch you, that's what I'm gonna watch."

So I pulled the curtain closed. Tugged the sheets and blankets back, shoved the gown up, and went to town. Slowly, lovingly, pulling him back away from his body and tilting my face to the side so he could watch as he entered my mouth.

His heart rate went crazy and his breathing became labored, and he came with a quiet grunt. I sucked him dry and limp, and replaced the covers over him just in time for the nurse to rush in.

"Your heart rate just increased," she said, coming over to lay two fingers against his wrist. "Are you okay? Did something happen?"

He glanced at me. I still had a mouthful of his come, which I surrept.i.tiously swallowed, and then wiped my mouth with my sleeve.

"No," he said. "Just...I had a dream. I'm fine."

The nurse shifted her gaze from me to him and back. "None of that, you two. If you want him to heal, you need to let him rest. Causing his heart rate to skyrocket and his lungs to have to work harder isn't doing him any favors."

"She's got a wedding to go to anyway," Nick said. "She's about to leave. We were just saying goodbye."

"Okay, well, say goodbye less...vigorously." She let out an exasperated sigh.

Alone once more, Nick grinned at me and pulled me in for a kiss. "You taste like me."

"I was still swallowing when she came in." I kissed him, tangled my tongue against his.

We kissed for a long moment, and then he pushed me away. "Go. Before I tie you to the IV pole and have my way with your a.s.s."

"Is that a promise or a threat?" I stood up, turned away, and waggled my a.s.s at him.

He groaned. "Don't tempt me, woman."

"Can't help it if I'm a born temptress," I said. I turned back, ran my fingers through his hair. "You can have your way with my a.s.s when you're out of the hospital. Promise."

"I'll hold you to that." He reached around and patted me on the bottom, then turned me around and pushed me away. "I love you. Go. Have fun."

I wasn't capable of saying goodbye to him. So I rushed back to kiss him once more, amazed that this was me, in love with a man who loved me back.

I even looked out the window to see if I could spot any flying pigs.

I left, pretended to close the door, and then peeked through. As soon as I was gone, Nick flopped back onto the bed, pressed the b.u.t.ton to lower the head of the bed so he was lying down. His hand was pressed to his chest as if to physically keep his chest rising and falling. He looked weak, suddenly, and exhausted.

But he had a smile on his face.

Everything it took to get me here, to this place with Nicholas Harris?

Worth it. All of it.