Deep Deception (19 page)

“
Go,
” Adin pinched Edward’s hand as hard as he could.

“
Ow
.” Edward pulled his hand back. “Oh, all right already. I’ll go get him. But if you ask me—”

“Go.” Adin poked him hard and he left.

“Good to see you awake.” Tuan came in shortly after Edward left. “I had them airlift you here.” Tuan gestured to the private room. “This facility has a trauma center for victims of paranormal events and they’re equipped to deal with all kinds of… Let’s just say it’s specialized.”

Adin blinked at him. He tried clearing his throat, and it was a little easier. “
Thirsty
.”

“Yes, indeed, I’m sure you are.” Tuan picked up the cup of ice chips that Edward had been doling out and placed one on Adin’s tongue. “Besides trying to track down Donte, Edward will probably inform the doctor that you’re awake and I’m sure any restrictions on food will be lifted forthwith.”

“
Water.
” Adin nodded.

“Soon, I promise.” Tuan’s voice was kind. “You won’t be the first to be treated for near exsanguination by a lover, and you won’t be the last. Humans are like moths to a flame with vampires.”

“I am, anyway.” Adin lowered his lashes. Sucking on the ice chips seemed to help. He swallowed once or twice to test his jaw.

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of, Adin. It’s simply the way things are.”

Adin wanted to say he wasn’t ashamed at all. At any rate, anything he said would be taken like the excuses a person makes for a drunken spouse or an abuser.

It would hardly matter to anyone that Adin was—at last—completely confident with regard to the strange turns his life had taken. During what he had thought were the final moments of his existence, even as he’d wept at losing consciousness for the last time, he wouldn’t have traded the time he’d had with Donte for anything.

And he’d nearly lost the chance to tell him…

“Boaz brought Bran. He’ll want to see you. He’s very unhappy with us that we didn’t bring him in last night. He said something about you needing him. But to be honest…” Tuan allowed his normally taciturn face to show emotion as he brushed Adin’s cheek lightly with his knuckles. “It was touch and go. That was—” Tuan swallowed, “—hard to watch.”

Adin feared asking for the truth. “I was never alone with Donte, was I? Here?”

Tuan shook his head. “The minute we left the helicopter the medical team took you from us. After you were allowed visitors Edward and I never left you alone. Donte seemed worried about his enemies and I… Maybe I was worried about Donte.”

“I need to see him.” Adin’s cracked and parched throat hurt as fear gripped him. He fussed with the controls for the bed. “Up.
Please
.”

Tuan helped him to raise the the hospital bed. Adin’s head swam. He pushed against the side rails until Tuan lowered them. When he tried to swing his legs over Tuan wouldn’t allow it.

“Stay where you are, Adin. Don’t fight me. You’re not strong enough to be walking around.”

Adin wanted to scream with frustration. The barest push of Tuan’s hand was more than enough to press him back down; he was so weak. Tuan sat beside him. Adin’s breathing grew shallow and his pulse sped up. His feet felt like ice.

He had no strength to fight Tuan’s hold on him, so he reached out with his heart instead, sending Donte a message, hampered by his physical limitations but carrying the full weight of his determination.

Come back
.
Stay with me. I need you.

And then he thought of that curious dream, the kiss, the blood, first Santos’s face and then Donte’s, his hand over Adin’s mouth and had a horrible frisson of fear. Had he woken with a coppery taste in his mouth…?

Donte, what have you done? Dear God.


That was only a dream, wasn’t it?

Chapter Twenty

Tuan sat with Adin until the door opened and Donte walked in. He had obviously thrown on casual clothes in haste while waiting for the EMTs.

He wore a fine-gauge cashmere sweater and a pair of jeans Adin had never seen before beneath one of his many long dark coats. This one—a vintage wool military topcoat very much like Bran’s—swung around his calves when he turned after closing the door behind him.

Donte glowered and took up a large amount of space in the small private room. It seemed to cause a crackle in the air. A corresponding current of electricity resonated within Adin’s veins. Adin cleared his throat.

Tuan reluctantly excused himself and left.

Donte’s hair stood out at odd angles, as though he’d hung onto the outside of the helicopter while they’d flown from place to place. Adin was too tired to laugh and too dehydrated to cry. What came out was more like a cough, followed by a helpless gurgle that went silent when Donte pinned him with an angry gaze.

Donte wasn’t likely to forgive himself. Adin knew he’d have to tread carefully. He held out a hand, but Donte didn’t come to him.

“
Donte
.” Adin frowned.

Donte frowned right back and he was better at it. He didn’t move. “In case it has escaped your notice, I nearly killed you.”

“
Ah, jeez
.” Adin fussed with the sheet covering him. “What’s your point?”

Donte ran his hands through his hair, which left Adin with no doubt how it got that way. The usually resplendent Donte didn’t seem to care what he looked like.
How odd.

“You are an idiot,” Donte said explosively.

“Absolutely.”


“Sciocco.”

“Pazzo,” Adin countered.


“Imbecile
.”

“I’m a
clown
.”

“Yes. Even that.” Donte inched forward. “You cried.”

“Yes.” Adin stopped smiling. “I did.”

“You were afraid.” Donte took another step forward.

“I was.” Adin never took his eyes off Donte’s. “I am.”

Donte’s façade eroded then, and it was painful for Adin to watch, as if an ancient rocky edifice crumbled and fell away into the sea.

“I cannot do this,” Donte whispered.

Adin held his arms out. “I know.”

Donte was shaking his head
no
when he moved forward. He leaned over the hospital bed and wrapped his arms around Adin’s waist, putting his head in Adin’s lap.

Adin pushed his fingers—IV tubes trailing after them, attached to the back of his hand—through Donte’s dark waves, brushing them back from his face. He found the wisp of silver and smoothed it carefully. Soothing. Caressing Donte’s tense face, using his thumb to smooth the tightly clenched jaw. He continued stroking until he felt Donte’s body relax slightly, until Adin felt a violent shudder go through Donte as he unwound.

“Shh,” Adin said stupidly, because Donte hadn’t made a single sound. He just held on like a limpet, but didn’t breathe and didn’t move.

Donte was cold and lifeless, except for the ardor with which he clung, and the waves of intense satisfaction that Adin felt through skin and muscle, down to his very bones.

Donte’s love surrounded them like mist.

My monster
.

“Sometimes I hate you, più amato,” Donte said then, and Adin knew very well that he meant it.

“Right back atcha, my lover.” Adin continued stroking his soft hair.

Donte tightened his grip—if possible—and stayed that way for another few minutes before taking an audible breath, more for show. He stood. Cupped Adin’s face in his hand and peered at him.

“You are weak.”

“I am indeed. And not just in the usual, I’m human, and you are the apex of—”

“Shh.” Donte tensed. “Not today,
pazzo
, I am not in the mood.”

“All right,” Adin agreed. “I
am
weak. I can’t get out of bed.”

Donte pursed his lips and shook his head. “Bran will wish to see you since he appears to have adopted you. He was beside himself with grief. He’s probably going to challenge me to a duel.”

“And of course you will be a responsible adult and not fan the flames with your usual insouciant charm.”

“You mean I must handle him with soft gloves?”

“I mean exactly that,” Adin told Donte.

“I hear you. I can’t even be around him, caro. I will not eat him.”

Adin said nothing.

Donte shifted uncomfortably. “That is an idiom I find less appealing today.”

Adin laughed out loud. He reached out and grabbed the lapel of Donte’s coat and pulled him close, pressing his cheek against Donte’s, then whispering in his ear, “I could not love you any more than I do. It’s not physically possible. Per sempre, amore mio, I’m so, so sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for.” Donte cleared his throat. “You called me back, and I am here. Perhaps I am the fool.”

“Yes.”

“Heaven help me.” Donte pressed his lips to Adin’s, nudging Adin’s legs aside to sit beside him on the tiny hospital bed. Adin wound his arms around Donte’s neck, fussing with the IV line to get it out of the way. His broken arm was cumbersome and awkward. He opened for Donte’s tongue when they kissed, and pulled him close, willing him to forget everything and take all he had to offer.

All his love. All his faith. His body, his heart, his future.

“Ah, lover—” A commotion outside the door caught their attention and they broke apart.

Boaz came into the room followed by Tuan and Edward. “Is Bran here? Have you seen him?”

“No.” Donte stood and covered Adin carefully with the lightweight sheet they’d pushed down while they kissed. “I assumed he was with you.”

“I left him for a bit to make some phone calls. When I came back, he wasn’t in the lobby or the cafeteria. I’ve checked with the security guards and they don’t remember seeing him leave.”

Tuan stepped forward. “Where else might he have gone?”

“Nowhere. Why would he? He was adamant that we bring him to see Adin as soon as he was conscious.”

“What the hell?” Adin asked, even as he yanked the tape off his arm and pulled out his IV line.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Donte demanded.

“We have to look for Bran. Will someone help me find some clothes?” There was no way he’d be able to walk unaided. He gestured to Boaz. “Get me a wheelchair, please.”

“Adin—” Boaz began.

“
No.
You were right, Boaz. I didn’t give a single thought to what it would mean to bring Bran into our lives. I didn’t worry about the consequences and I didn’t care about anything else but doing what I wanted.”

“I didn’t say that, exactly.” Boaz opened the cabinets in the room, coming up empty. “I’ll need to get you some scrubs. You weren’t dressed when we brought you here.”

“Oh shit.” Adin imagined how it must have seemed, he’d have been lying in bed when the EMTs arrived, he’d probably been covered with sweat and come and bite marks. He closed his eyes for a second.
Great
. “The point is, I brought Bran here, and I’m responsible for him. He trusts me.”

Donte nodded. “He loves you. While you were unconscious, you called for him over and over and I’m certain he was aware of it.” Donte looked away, his features tightening into a mask that Adin found difficult to interpret. “For the record, I would have liked it had you called to me.”

“You can’t think—”

“Another time, più amato,” Donte answered quickly. “Let’s secure the safety of your toxic adoptee, shall we?”

“
Donte
.” Adin caught Donte’s arm and growled, “Someday you’ll make my head explode.”

“I was imagining that very thing, actually,” Donte told him. “But we’ll save that for later when we’ve more time.”

“I hope you mean that in the nicest possible way.” Adin bumped him weakly with his fist.

“The jury is out, caro. Behave yourself, and I will consider just how I will explode that remarkably empty head of yours later. I can bring both pleasure and
pain
.”

Boaz returned to the room with borrowed scrubs. Donte made short work of working them up Adin’s legs, and then lifted his torso in order for Boaz to remove the standard gown and slip the shirt on over his head. Adin grunted when his head came through.

Adin experienced waves of dizziness when Donte picked him up like a baby and carried him out the door. He wondered how much help he could be in his condition but he didn’t want to prove Boaz right by allowing others to take care of his responsibility. He clasped his hands around Donte’s neck and moaned when he was deposited in a cold wheelchair.

Donte leaned over and whispered in his ear, “Are you certain you can do this, caro? If you cannot, I’ll see that Bran is brought to you, safe and sound. I promise on my life.”

“Fat lot of good that will do me, since you’re
dead
,” Adin teased, cautiously letting go and gripping the armrest with his good hand. “Let me catch my breath.”

Adin didn’t want to tell Donte that breathing was far more difficult than he expected.

Donte took the handholds of Adin’s wheelchair. “I’ll take Adin and look around the hospital. If he’s here I will know it.”

“We’ll all know it.” Tuan grimaced. “There’ll be a trail of healthy house plants and aging vampires in his wake.”

“Maybe I’d better go alone.” Adin placed his hand on the wheel to stop the chair when Donte would have pushed him.

Donte snorted. “This is why I love you, you should consider a career as an
attore comico.
”

Tuan knelt in front of the wheelchair and adjusted Adin’s legs. “I am going to go to administration to see if my credentials will get me a look at the hospital security tapes. I want to see if Bran’s left here, or if anyone else I recognize has arrived…”

“We’ll find him.” Adin’s jaw tightened. “And then we’ll kill him for giving us a scare.”

Adin and Donte began their search of the hospital by trying to consider the places that might interest a boy like Bran. They covered the gift shop, the florist, the vending machines, the dining area, and one or two patio areas where the hospital staff might go for a break or to eat out of doors.

They checked the chapel yet found no sign of Bran anywhere. Eventually, Donte and Adin made their way to the ER, where they finally spotted him, sitting with his hands folded in his lap. Next to him a teenage girl slept with her legs curled under her and her head on his shoulder.

“I should have known.
Cherchez la femme
.” Donte stopped the wheelchair. “You go on ahead. I’ll call Tuan and Boaz and let them know we’ve found him.”

Adin turned and met Donte’s eyes. “Thank you. I’m sorry for all the trouble.”

Donte shook his head and dropped a kiss on Adin’s forehead. He pulled his phone from his coat pocket and left to find a place to make a call.

Adin wheeled over to Bran. “Hi there.”

Bran flushed but didn’t move. His new friend slept on. “Hi.”

Adin lowered his voice to avoid waking her. “We were frantic just now when we couldn’t find you.”

Bran turned and spoke in the girl’s ear. She nodded and leaned back. Her brown eyes opened and Adin saw they were puffy and red-rimmed from crying.

“Thank you,” she told Bran quietly.

Adin watched their gazes lock as something passed between them. Bran looked solemn and sad, and the girl, a sweet-looking thing wearing jeans and a white blouse under a fitted, feminine jacket caught both his hands and gave them a squeeze.

Bran stood, and she let him go before shoving her dark hair back from her face and taking a deep, shuddering breath. He gave her one last smile and left her there, taking his place behind Adin’s wheelchair without asking and pushing him toward the elevators, located in a hallway off the central lobby.

Bran pushed the button to call a car and leaned against the wall. “I’m sorry you were worried.”

“Of course we were worried. Please don’t forget there are people out there who—”

“That was Kelsey. Her brother drowned this morning.”

“What?” Adin’s heart froze.

“She has a seven-year-old brother, and he drowned in their pool. They brought him in and her parents are with him now. They have him hooked up to machines, but he’s already gone. They just don’t know it.”

Adin felt sick with sorrow for the family. “How do
you
know this?”

Bran shrugged. “I was there when they brought him in. I was close enough… I just know.”

“Does she?”

“She does. But she doesn’t understand why. Her intuition tells her he’s gone. I can—I did—reinforce that so she wouldn’t hold on to hope.” Bran’s eyes looked older than old.

“Were you able to help her?”

“Maybe,” Bran said. “Who knows? How can anyone help with something like that? She seemed to feel better when she was close to me. I helped her find good memories. Sweet dreams.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“Me too.”

Adin was silent until the doors opened and Bran pushed him into the empty elevator. “They wouldn’t let me see you, even though you were asking for me.”

“I know. I’m sorry. They said my situation was touch and go. They wanted to spare you whatever pain they could.”

The doors closed and as they started the ascent to Adin’s floor he felt a sick plummeting of his stomach. His heart fluttered oddly and he grew short of breath.

“Oh, Christ. Listen to me, Adin.” Bran squatted next to the wheelchair, so they faced one another. “We don’t have much time. You need to ask yourself about your dreams last night. How much was me, and how much was real.”

“What?” Adin shook his head. “I don’t understand.”

“I think…” Bran bit his bottom lip. “I think someone tried to turn you. If you were depleted enough by Donte’s attack, it would have been easy to start the process. It’s like…dominos falling.” Bran reached out and pressed the Emergency Stop button. The alarm rang so unbearably loudly in the elevator car Adin ducked his head and covered his ears.

“No. Listen.” Bran pulled Adin’s hands away from his ears and continued to speak. “I don’t know if it really happened, Adin.
I don’t know
. I was in your head and I felt someone else there.”