Yeah, that was not a conversation they were going to have now. He didn’t give a shit about lucani law when it came to Tira, about the oath he took not to reveal his status as sicari to anyone. He trusted Tira with his life.
But with Nic still unconscious, he didn’t want her worrying more than she already was.
“You know what I do. I work with Kyle.”
“But—”
“Go take a shower, Tira.” Duke shook his head. “I promise we’ll talk about it later. When Nic’s awake.”
She took a deep breath and opened her mouth like she was going to say something else. Then her lips closed into a flat line and she nodded. “Fine. For now.”
He watched her walk away, shutting the bathroom door firmly behind her.
Before Kyle could open his mouth, Duke said, “I need to check on Nic,” and walked away.
He opened the door to the bedroom and slipped inside, making no sound. He didn’t want to wake Nic, who, thank the Blessed Mother Goddess, looked a little better than he had last night. Not much, but enough to make Duke nearly lightheaded with relief.
Walking over to the bed, he fell into the chair pulled up to the side. Nic’s eyes remained closed though he did turn his head toward Duke, as if he knew he was there.
Duke reached for his best friend, putting his hand on his shoulder. Closer than blood brothers, they’d known each other all their lives. Their parents had reared them together in the same house.
Until they’d turned eighteen and their lives had collapsed in on them.
Their fathers had been best friends who’d found two women strong enough to love them. Both of them. Yeah, it’d made for an unconventional upbringing, not knowing if he’d walk into his parents’ room to find one, two, three or four people in bed together. But when you grow up with something, you don’t think it’s odd or different.
And Duke and Nic had never left the den lands growing up. Why should they?
They’d had forests and fields to roam, school to attend, training. They’d known there were “others” beyond the boundaries of the lucani lands but they were eteri and therefore uninteresting.
They’d spent eighteen blissful years unaware of anything other than their own people, their own lives. They’d made their change within a week of each other at thirteen. They’d run as wolves, planned their lives as soldiers.
And met a girl who they’d both decided had been theirs. It’d been the weirdest thing, knowing that the skinny, fifteen-year-old strega with the moonlight hair was meant to be theirs, though they couldn’t have her until she grew up.
And they’d both accepted it.
But when Duke’s dad had died three years later, his mother had needed him. And when he’d gotten back, ready to reclaim his life and the woman, it’d all gone to shit. Again.
“Stop thinking so hard. You’re making my head hurt.”
Duke’s gaze locked onto Nic’s, open and still a little cloudy.
“Hey, bro.” Duke’s hand squeezed a little harder before he forced himself to release Nic. “You had everyone scared for a while. How’re you feeling?”
“Like a house fell on me.”
“Yeah, well, not quite.”
“Kaine?”
“She’s fine.”
“The eteri?”
“Him, too.”
Nic’s eyes closed again, and Duke thought he might go back to sleep. Then Nic’s nose twitched.
Without opening his eyes, Nic asked, “Tira still here?”
Duke froze. “She’s in the shower. She’ll be in as soon as she’s finished. I’m gonna take her home and head back to the site. See if I can’t dig anything out of the rubble.”
Nic nodded and Duke thought maybe the guy was still too tired or out of it to catch Tira’s scent on him.
Idiot. He should’ve showered before coming in here. Nic would be able to smell her on his skin. He’d know—
“You’re thinking way too hard again.” Nic opened his eyes and Duke saw Nic’s comprehension. He knew what had happened just hours ago.
Duke expected to see betrayal or, at the very least, anger in his friend’s eyes. He froze, bracing for Nic’s condemnation. For his anguish.
Nic just lay there, watching him.
Was he supposed to confess? Spill his guts?
Nic could smell her on him. He knew what they’d done.
“Is she okay?” Nic finally asked.
Blessed Goddess, he hoped so. “She’s worried about you.”
Nic huffed, frustration beginning to show in the slit of his eyes. “But is she okay?”
How the hell did he answer that? He didn’t have a clue. Everything was fucked up now.
“Duke, you scazzacazzo, if you—”
Nic’s mouth snapped shut as his gaze cut to the door. The knob turned a second later and Tira walked into the room, so quietly Duke barely heard her.
She caught Duke’s eyes then quickly looked at Nic. Her chin lifted, as if she were going into battle and Duke wanted to hit something. If she thought she had to worry about being in the same room with the two of them, he’d—
“Nic.” Her lips curved in a tentative smile as she moved closer to the bed. She stopped at the end, her hands gripping the footboard until her knuckles turned white. “How are you feeling?”
Nic smiled, making sure not an iota of his anger with Duke showed on his face for her. “I’m fine. Still a little tired but Tam says after a few days of rest, I’ll be just fine.”
Tira’s eyes fluttered, as if she might cry. Then she took a deep breath and she nodded. “Good. That’s great.”
“Tam wants me to stay here,” he continued, “but I told her, since I’m feeling okay, I’m gonna go back to the bunkhouse. I’ll be more comfortable in my own bed.”
Her face screwed up in a frown. “Is that safe? I mean, will you be able to take care of yourself?”
Duke’s eyes narrowed as Nic’s smile widened. Duke knew that smile. Nic was up to something.
“I’ll be fine.” Nic made a motion to sit up then tried to hide a grimace.
And that, of course, was his plan.
That sneaky bastard…
Tira’s eyes widened. “No, you won’t. You need to stay here where Tam can keep an eye on you.”
“Sweetheart, I’m a grown man. I can take care of myself.”
The doc hadn’t given Tira the complete rundown but Duke knew just how injured Nic was. He had internal damage that would require him to spend time flat on his back to heal. Cracked ribs, bruised spleen and liver. His shoulder had been dislocated and he had a concussion in addition to fractures in both legs.
The doctor was worried that shifting into his wolf, which would heal almost all injuries, in his condition might actually do more harm than good because of the swelling in his brain.
Nic needed a few days in bed and he knew it.
He was playing on Tira’s sympathies big-time. The question was why?
Tira turned to him, as if Duke could make him change his mind. “Are you going to stay with him?”
And the light bulb went off.
Damn, Duke had to give it to him. The guy should be stroking a hairless cat with a pinky at his mouth.
Duke shook his head. “Not all the time. Somebody’s got to figure out what happened and since dickhead here let the ceiling fall on him and Kaine’s still out of commission, I guess that’s me.”
Her distress grew by the second and Duke had a flash of guilt that they were forcing her to make a choice, one they shouldn’t ask her to make—care for her mother or care for the man she loved but couldn’t touch. With the man she’d fucked constantly underfoot.
“But,” she frowned at him, “you’re not up to that yet either.”