Page 23 of Protecting his Secrets

Malachi

Malachi woke slowly, warmth surrounding him, but when he tried to push off the covers, something pulled at his hand.

“Hey, slow down. You’ll pull the IV out,” a voice said, and Malachi blinked several times to bring them into focus. Nick.

He cleared his throat, his throat a little sore, and opened his mouth to ask where he was before everything came rushing back. “Hospital.”

“Yeah, you’re in the hospital. Are you with me, Malachi?”

“Kai,” he said absently, pushing himself to sitting. Nick propped the pillow behind him, and he rested back with a sigh. “I bloody hate it when that happens.”

“What?”

“Allergies. They suck. I always crash after having a shot.”

“That would’ve been nice to know. You crashed in the car, and we ended up breaking speed limits to get here.” Though Nick’s words were a rebuke, they were softened by his tone and expression.

“Sorry,” Malachi’s cheeks heated. “I should’ve said.”

Nick shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. You’re on the mend, which is all we can hope for.” He sighed. “Do you know where it came from? The peanuts?”

Malachi shook his head. “Usually I can taste them if I’ve eaten them by accident. They have a distinct taste that I’ve learnt to recognise. Preemptive, if you like. But I didn’t taste a thing.”

“We’re having your meal analysed to see if something was in it that shouldn’t have been, or if you were just given the wrong meal. We’re speaking with the restaurant, too. This shouldn’t have happened, especially on the opening night of a restaurant whose owner had others with high ratings. It’s strange.”

Malachi reached for the water jug, but Nick beat him to it, filling a plastic cup and handing it to him. “Thanks.” He gratefully drained it, his throat thanking him.

“This seems to be a regular occurrence,” Nick murmured. “Are you prone to ending up in hospital?” Nick’s mouth twitched as if he didn’t want to break into a smile. “Just so I know for future reference, you know.”

Despite how tired he was, Malachi chuckled. “Funnily enough, no, it’s not. The last time I ended up in hospital with my allergies was around…seven years ago.”

“Well, at least we can cross off accident-prone on your list. That’ll save me some work.”

Malachi chuckled weakly and yawned. “This hospital malarky is pissing me off now. Do you know if they’ve let Mum or Grandma know?”

Nick’s eyes widened. “I don’t know. I never thought… Sorry, I should’ve thought about contacting them. Do you want me—”

“No! Really. I’m glad they haven’t been told because they’d only get worried. I’ll tell them once I’m up and about again. Although, maybe the grapevine will work, and they’ll already know by the time I’m out of here.” He huffed a laugh and closed his scratchy eyes. “Saves me a phone call.”

“Get some rest, okay? I’ll be right here.”

Malachi wanted to stay awake, but his body was telling him, no way; therefore, it was several hours later when he woke in a dimmed room, which sent his heart racing.

“Are you okay, Malachi?”

Nick’s voice had the instant tension easing away, and Malachi breathed through the panic of being alone. He wasn’t scared of the dark or of being alone, but since that night, when he had no idea what had happened to him, he didn’t like the unexpected.

“Yeah,” he rasped. “I’m okay.”

He rolled to his back, the tugging and rustle of the bed sheets making him realise someone had covered him. There was a slight chill in the air from the air conditioning, so he was grateful for the thought. Meeting Nick’s gaze, he said, “What time is it?”

Nick rose, filled a cup with water and handed it to him before he answered. “It’s about one in the morning,” he murmured.

Malachi nearly choked on the water. “What? Shit, I’m so sorry. You don’t have to stay. You must be exhausted. Go. I’m all right. They’ll probably let me go home now, anyway.”

Nick’s mouth tightened, and even through the dim lighting, Malachi could see the action. “I don’t think it was an accident, Malachi. Someone laced your food with ground peanuts. The pot your food came from had no traces of it. Only your plate.”

It took a second for the words to sink in, and his stomach churned. “On purpose? Why?”

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