Page 6 of Brush with Death
“Why not?”
Russell sighed and shook his head.“Because Cyril wouldn’t want you to.”
“Cyril is the one who got himself hurt, so he doesn’t have a say.I’ll think what I want.”
Russell sighed but knew better than to push.Besides, they were almost at the hospital.As soon as Russell slowed down in front of the building, Vale was out of the car.He ignored Russell calling for him and left his friend to find a parking spot.He didn’t care where Russell left it.He just cared about Cyril, who was somewhere in the hospital, probably in pain.
Vale prayed that Cyril would be fine.If he wasn’t, Vale would find out what had happened and would make sure that whoever had pushed his boyfriend paid for it.Hell, he’d make sure of that even if Cyril was fine.
Maybe Cyril didn’t need an assistant.Maybe he needed a bodyguard.Vale had hinted at it several times, but Cyril had always brushed him off.Vale was done allowing his boyfriend to do that.Cyril needed a keeper, and Vale was it.
Chapter Three
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“IPROMISE I’M FINE,” Cyril insisted.He could tell by the way Robbie was glaring at him that he wouldn’t get anywhere, unfortunately.
“We’ll let the doctors decide that,” Robbie said.
“There was no need for me to come to the hospital.”
“Again, we’ll let the doctor decide.Last time I checked, you worked with dead people, so you don’t know what to do with living people, including yourself.You certainly don’t know how your brain works.”
“My brain is fine,” Cyril grumbled.A lot of people would disagree, and maybe they wouldn’t be wrong, but the only thing that was different about him was his necromancy gift.His brainwasfine, even though it felt a bit scrambled, and he had a headache.
Hitting a nightstand with your head would do that.
Cyril was pretty sure he hadn’t blacked out.He remembered hitting the nightstand and Robbie calling his name.He remembered hearing a woman crying and another yelling.He remembered letting go of Mr.Maxwell’s soul because there was no way he could focus on the man when his head throbbed the way it did.
Robbie had grabbed all of Cyril’s stuff and helped him out of the bedroom.They’d both been able to hear people fighting inside as they left, but it had been none of Cyril’s business.He was pretty sure that the only reason he’d been there was that Robert Junior had wanted to know why he wasn’t in his father’s will.They hadn’t found out, but there was no way Cyril was going back in there.
Mrs.Maxwell had caught up to them as they were stepping out the front door.She’d been apologetic, which Cyril had appreciated, and she’d paid him almost double what he’d asked as an apology.He suspected she’d been relieved that he had no intention of calling the cops.He’d just wanted to go home, and he thought that was where he was headed.
He’d been wrong.
Robbie had refused to even let him near his car.Cyril had been confused for a moment, but then the ambulance had arrived.He’d tried telling everyone that he was fine, but Robbie had told the paramedics what had happened, and somehow, they’d convinced Robbie that Cyril needed to go to the hospital.
So, here he was.They’d poked at his head and had shone a light in his eyes.He still didn’t have any results, which meant that he was stuck in a hospital bed, languishing.He yearned to go home, even though he suspected that he wouldn’t have to go that far to see Vale.There was no way Robbie hadn’t called him to explain what had happened.
Cyril was glad he’d see Vale soon, but he was less glad when he thought about how freaked out his boyfriend would be.He’d been afraid that something would happen to Cyril, and Cyril had proven him right.It hadn’t been Cyril’s fault, but it seldom was when something happened to him.
“We have another appointment later,” he murmured.
“No, we don’t,” Robbie said without looking up from his phone.He was sitting on a chair that had been placed against the wall.There was another chair close to the bed, but Robbie hadn’t taken that one, probably leaving it for Vale.
“I saw it in the planner app,” Cyril insisted.
“I canceled it.”
“What?”Cyril wasn’t actually surprised.Hewasannoyed, though.“There was no need to cancel it.I’m fine.In fact, you should call back and tell the client that we’ll be coming in a little late, but we’ll be there.”
Robbie lowered his phone and snorted.“You really think Vale will let you go anywhere?”
“He doesn’t get to dictate what I do and don’t do.”
“Keep telling yourself that.The man will wrap you in a blanket and force you to stay in bed.The furthest you’ll get away from it will be the couch.”
“There’s no need for either of you to act like this.I’m fine, and people need me.I realize you haven’t been working with me for long, but you saw Mrs.Maxwell when I reanimated her husband.These people need me.”
