Page 36 of Risky Taste
I clutch the device against my ear as I sag against the bed, my strength waning. “I need you,” I manage.
“Be right there. Fuck, are you okay? What happened?” There’s something rustling in the background, the start of a car, and other noises I can’t quite pick out.
Just before the darkness takes over, I mumble two words that I am sure will only make this scene look worse. “I’m sorry.”
Chapter twenty-five
SEBASTIAN
Logan called a few minutes ago, saying that it was an emergency. I didn’t even blink an eye, dismissing myself from my post, knowing that I wouldn’t have a position to return to. It didn’t matter. Noah’s 911 call does.
Fifteen minutes later, we met up in the lobby before rushing up to my hotel room. I swiped the key several times before it finally chimed, the sight that opened before us making my heart leap into my throat. I was at his side first, cradling a limp Noah against my chest. He was covered in whiskey, the bed fully soaked, shards of glass covering his side and the far side of the mattress.
Declan grunts. “He fucking relapsed? Where the fuck did he even-”
I shake my head, refusing to believe that. Noah trembles in my arms, a low whine slipping through his lips. “Hey, babe. Talk to me. What happened?” I lightly tap his cheek, his eyes openingever so slightly. There’s so much turmoil and pain staring back at me.
“Kurt happened.”
I don’t need anything else as I strip off his shirt and shove mine onto him before gathering him up in my arms, knowing that we aren’t going to be much use here. He needs a doctor and we need the full explanation of whatever the fuck Kurt tried to pull. When Declan opens his mouth to say something again, I shut him down. “Seems his brother is upping his game. Focus on Noah first and then I’ll set you loose. Not until then.”
Declan throws me a wild smile as we head for the clinic, a few of the doctors gasping as I place him in one of the private rooms and then call one of the doctors we served with. I need secrecy for this shit because if anyone believes that Noah is drinking again, he’ll lose his license.
“What happened?” Carl exclaims as he works to check Noah over before leaning down to sniff the pungent whisky wafting off of him. “Drinking or something else?” I’m so fucking thankful that we have someone who doesn’t immediately judge Noah. It helps that Carl and Noah are pretty close.
“Something else,” I grind out. “Kurt happened.”
Carl freezes and turns to us. “I’ve heard a lot of things about Kurt, none of them good recently and you’re saying that he turned on his own brother? I’m sorry to say I’m not surprised.” It kind of hurts thateveryoneis saying they aren’t surprised about Kurt’s recent actions. Carl returns to his work, checking Noah’s vital signs before setting him up with fluids. “Why does he smell like he bathed in alcohol?”
“I assume Kurt tried to send a message? I can’t really tell you but there was glass everywhere, alcohol soaked into the bed. Noah’s been through a lot but he’s not intentionally destructive. I’m also pretty damn sure he didn’t leave this morning. Why is Noah unconscious?” I’m mildly concerned that Noah passed outon the way over here and even more concerned that he hasn’t woken up yet.
Carl manages a small smile, looking between the three of us, somehow picking up that Noah is more than just Kurt’s little brother to us. “Wait, no fucking way. Noah is Bunny?” My face turns red as I remember Carl hanging with us on more than one drunken occasion. Seems like that little tidbit slipped out at some point. “No judgment. I love it. He needs that kind of support. Noah is under a lot of stress and I’m sure being doused in alcohol isn’t the only thing Kurt did.” Carl gently points to the side of Noah’s face, a small trickle of blood there.
“I have no idea what happened, Carl. He called us, told us to show up and then basically passed out after mentioning that Kurt was there.”
Carl nods, checking a few more things before fully turning to us. “Yeah, well, he’ll wake up soon. As for the alcohol, we’d have to do a test to see how much he drank but between us, I’d rather not have that on file. I’ll leave you be for a bit and when he wakes up, ping me.”
We all nod as Carl pats me on the back and then leaves the room. Noah stirs but doesn’t wake up, all three of us a little lost. Declan starts pacing at the far end of the room like he usually does in situations like this. “Do you really think Kurt tried to get his brother to fucking relapse? It’s one thing to get him deployed but to mess with his mental health?”
Logan sits on the edge of the bed, running his fingers through Noah’s damp curls. “I think that Kurt’s cornered ass knows that he can influence Noah’s position here at the clinic and ruin his career.”
That doesn’t make this any better. I glare at Declan who keeps checking out the door to this room as if he’s going to disappear into the hallway and tear off Kurt’s head. “Declan, if you walk out that door right now, what do you do?” I say.
“I’ll kill that fucking bastard that I used to call family,” he growls out.
“Try again.” As much as I want the bastard in the ground, if we don’t play this shit smart, we’re going to end up in a jail cell right next to Kurt for wildly different reasons.
Declan grits his teeth, turning to face me before folding his arms across his chest. “I’m going to go talk to an old buddy of mine. He has some reach and he might be able to put all of Kurt and Heath’s dirty dealings in the limelight faster than the investigation will.” Declan takes a few deep breaths before nodding. “I’ll be back at some point tonight.Maybe.”
We’re probably going to end up in trouble but I’m not sitting back any longer. I didn’t think it was going to get this bad, this fast but it’s unacceptable and I will protect Noah from his cousin, whatever it takes. I stalk over to Declan, clasping him on the shoulder, making sure he knows that I’ll stand behind him 100% whatever he’s about to do.
Even if that means I wake up in the morning and Kurt’s head is on a pike.
“Whatever you end up doing, come back to us.”
He nods, throwing Logan a glance. “I wouldn’t dream of anything else. Just need to talk this shit out. Tomorrow might be worse than today, though. Calm down, Beast. Noah is safe, with us. At least one of us will be with him until this shit gets figured out. I’m just saying the lengths that Kurt willtryto go to might get worse. It’s one thing to have a report running through the ranks about his involvement. But the article that will be written up tomorrow is going to bust this shit wide open. There won’t be any hiding from his crimes.”
“We’ll be ready,” I tell him.
