Summary: Liam, Drake and Riley deal with the aftermath of an attempt on Riley’s life. Damien deals with the aftermath of Liam.
“Riley!” Liam sprinted to her side where she sat quietly on the bed, crouching down to wrap her in his arms. “Thank god,” he whispered, pressing kisses into her hair, “Thank god you’re OK.”
Her body shook with quiet sobs as the tears started to flow freely. She gave herself over to it, letting her tears soak his shirt and holding onto him desperately. She hadn’t known the depth of the fear she’d been feeling until it all came out in a rush.
Dimly she heard Drake speak. “You look like shit.” She looked up in shock, thinking for a moment he was speaking to her. “Is everything OK, Liam? Where were you?”
Liam went rigid in her arms, his entire body tensing until he slowly let out a long breath, softening into her again. Wordlessly he crossed the room, tapping Drake’s shoulder and leading him towards a far corner. Riley strained to overhear their hushed conversation.
“I need to know what happened. Where were you that they were able to get a shot off with no witnesses?”
Drake paused long enough to make Riley uneasy.
“I’m…I’m sorry Liam. We were down by the water, and I guess I didn’t realize how much the crowds had cleared out as it got later…”
“Well…thank you for getting her to safety. Really. I’m glad she’s in good hands.”
Riley flinched, and she saw that Drake did, too.
“Where were you? We couldn’t get a hold of you for so long…”
“I was taking care of some business relating to the investigation. My apologies for being temporarily out of touch.”
“Oh, I…”
“Drake, I need to be alone with Riley.”
“Oh…OK, then.”
He left without further argument, a king’s guard agent locking the door behind him.
Riley looked away quickly as Liam headed back towards her, trying not to let her face show that she had been listening. “I’m so sorry love,” Liam said softly, stroking her tear-streaked cheek. “I got here as soon as I could.”
She sniffled, nodding. “Where were you?”
His sad eyes met hers, his brow furrowed. “I was meeting with Damien. He’s going to help us uncover who’s behind this.”
Of course he was. He was looking out for her, trying to protect her, while she…
“Did he come back here with you? He must have questions.”
Liam waved the remainder of his guards out of the room before lying down on the bed, pulling Riley down next to him. Riley reached up to smooth his furrowed brow as he let out a long sigh. “There’s no sense making you repeat yourself all night. I told him to get some rest and review the police report in the morning.”
She nodded silently, settling further into his arms. Her tired eyes drifted closed, but her mind wandered, taking her back to sprinting in a zig-zag down the wide boardwalk, Drake following and keeping his body between her and the gunman…
A cold jolt of adrenaline forced her eyes back open in a snap as she struggled to slow her racing heart. “Liam?” she asked softly, needing the reassurance of his voice.
He was already fast asleep, his mouth hanging open inelegantly. Everything about him, at that moment, was uncharacteristically imperfect, in an oddly appealing way. It was still so rare to see him sleeping, unguarded. Still beautiful, but just a man. My man, she thought to herself, wondering if it was, or ever would be, the truth.
King Liam sat on his massive, ornate throne in full regalia. Late afternooon sunlight streamed in through a window, reflecting off his large golden crown in a glowing halo of light.
Damien glanced around nervously, looking to see if anyone else was around, but no…he was alone before the king. He approached him slowly, hardly aware that he has holding his breath.
A wolfish grin spread across Liam’s face as Damien grew closer, stopping only when their knees were lightly touching, looking down (just barely – the throne was high, the king tall even when seated) at his handsome face. “I’ve been waiting for you, Detective Nazario.”
“Is that so?” He moved even closer, his knee between the king’s thighs.
Liam rose from the throne, his chest pressing against Damien’s as he stood to his full height. Wordlessly he removed the heavy crown atop his head, placing it instead on Damien’s, before grabbing him by the shoulders and switching places, shoving him roughly down into the plush seat.
Damien’s head fell back against the velvet upholstery, the weight of the crown wearing him down immediately, or maybe he just wanted to look up into Liam’s dark eyes, burning into his own. Liam drew closer to him, soft lips parted just so, hands pinning his own to the armrests. Damien’s eyes drifted shut as he waited for the soft brush of those lips on his own.
A blueberry bounced off of his chin and his eyes sprung open in a mild panic.
“Aaaaand he’s back.” Kai was staring at him across the table, visibly annoyed, as Nadia wound up to throw another berry at him.
“Sorry,” he grumbled. “Long night.”
“Ooooh,” Nadia cooed, “Details! Who kept you up all night?”
With a deep sigh he rubbed the bridge of his nose, trying to snap out of his sleepy daze. “Work. Very glamorous. Lots of…” he held up a finger as he let out a long yawn. “Lots of phone calls to Europe, trying to make sense of a case.”
“So did work give you that hickey?”
His hand flew to his neck in a panic, craning to see his own reflection in the mirrored wall of the brunch restaurant. Nadia snorted and doubled over in laughter. Kai rolled his eyes.
“There’s no hickey, Damien. She’s messing with you.”
He blushed furiously, turning his attention to the eggs in front of him rather than making eye contact with either of his companions. “Busted!” Nadia cried through her laughter.
Damien allowed himself a small smirk. “I WAS working…after my company left.”
Nadia was practically bouncing out of her seat with excitement. “Does this company have anything to do with a certain waitress being back in town?”
His eyes shot up towards Kai, glaring at him for spilling that bit of information, but Kai wouldn’t meet his gaze. “I uh…well sort of…I guess…”
She reached across the table and slapped his hand so hard he dropped his fork. “I KNEW it! I knew you were hooking up with that shady-ass waitress again!”
“She isn’t shady…” he defended weakly, unsure how to extricate himself from this stupid half-truth. Why didn’t I just say no outright? Goddammit…
“Well if you and not-shady waitress are going to be a thing, you need to bring her to my birthday party.” Nadia aggressively shoved an alarmingly large bite of her cinnamon roll into her mouth, as if to say she meant business, somehow.
“We’re not a thing. She’s going back to Cordonia in less than a week, and she’s not coming back.”
“Well, whatever.” She downed her mimosa and stood up from the table. “I’m gonna pee. Don’t touch my food.”
As soon as she disappeared into the rest room, Damien reached for Kai’s hand, squeezing it across the table. “You OK? You’re awfully quiet this morning.”
“I’m totally fine,” Kai answered, giving a small smile. “Just nothing to say I guess.”
“Well that’s a first,” Damien laughed, wishing Kai would laugh too, but nothing. “You know you can tell me anything, right? I know I’m a dick but I care about you.”
“I’m fine, for real. Please don’t go all private eye on me.”
“OK then…” they ate in awkward silence until Nadia returned to save them from each other’s company.
Riley tossed and turned in Liam’s hotel bed for hours as he slept soundly next to her.
Fuck this. I’ll be perfectly safe in my own room.
She snuck silently out of the suite, glancing apologetically at the two guards outside. She stopped as one of them started to follow her.
“Shouldn’t you stay with Liam?”
The guard shook her head. “King’s orders. I’m in charge of watching you tonight, wherever you go. So…where are you going?”
“My own room. Is that a problem?”
“You’re free to do as you wish, Lady Riley.”
“Great.” She headed down the stairs and through the corridor to her own room, trying to ignore the serious, stern woman following her. As she approached the door, the guard stopped her.
“I just need to sweep the room first.”
Riley rolled her eyes, handing over her room key. “Fine, whatever you gotta do.”
The guard stepped into the room and quickly exited again. “Are you certain this is your room?”
“Absolutely. Why?”
“It seems Mr. Walker has fallen asleep in your bed.”
“Oh! That’s fine. I think I can handle this particular intruder.”
“Why don’t you allow me to wake him and…”
“No, no. I insist. I’m fine. Thank you for your help.”
The guard reluctantly held the door open for Riley to enter the room, then closed it behind her.
Quietly, Riley found her pajamas and changed into them before carefully sneaking into the bed next to Drake’s sleeping form. He looked tired and worried, even in his sleep. With a sigh she draped one arm around his chest, and he settled against her without waking.
Finally she was able to slip into a peaceful sleep.
Can I come over?
Damien rubbed his eyes, looking up from the statements and police reports on his desk to see the incoming text message. He hadn’t been expecting to hear from Kai after their uncomfortable brunch, but it was a welcome distraction.
I’m at the office. Come on over.
He hit send, then quickly typed a second message.
Bring food.
Just under an hour later Kai showed up at his office door, sack of greasy burgers and fries in hand. He was dressed up, in that quirky Kai kind of way: orange blazer over a polka dot print white dress shirt, with sky blue slacks that hugged him just a little in all the right places. His thick black hair was slicked back and styled flawlessly. As much as Damien enjoyed the sweatpants-with-no-shirt, tousled hair look that Kai sported around his apartment so often, he also had a healthy appreciation for how well the man could clean up.
He ran a hand through his own wild hair, feeling suddenly a little self-conscious. “Good to see you…and food.”
“You should know by now I always deliver.” Kai set a burger down in front of him, plopping down into the chair on the other side of the desk to dig into his own.
“You look nice,” Damien said, his mouth still half filled with food.
“Gonna head to the club later, I think,” Kai said indifferently. “Wanna come?”
“Nah, I have to work.” He gestured at the growing mountain of papers on his desk, all the information that somehow wasn’t painting a clear picture at all.
“Work, or ‘meet with clients’?” Kai made sarcastic air quotes with his fingers, smirking at Damien.
“I…what?”
“I came to your apartment last night, you know.”
Damien’s face suddenly felt hot. “You did?”
“I did. But I turned around and left when I saw you making out with the king of Cordonia in your doorway, looking like you’d both just been thoroughly fucked.”
“Oh.” He scratched at his neck, at a loss for words. “I um…”
Kai waved him off. “It’s fine. Just a surprise, I guess. I thought you were…you know…”
His brow furrowed in confusion, squinting at Kai. “You thought I was what?”
“…Straight?”
Damien laughed so abruptly he inhaled a piece of french fry, launching him into a brief coughing fit. Once he recovered he laughed again. “Kai, you can’t be serious.”
“I mean the only person you’ve dated since I’ve known you was Riley, and you mentioned your ex Alana a few times..”
“Well yeah, I like women, but I obviously like men.”
“How is it obvious?”
Damien just stared at him, mouth agape. “Are you really gonna make me say it?”
“Apparently, because I don’t know what ‘it’ is.” Kai folded his arms, leaning back in the chair. “Go on.”
Damien scoffed. “Fine. Have we not been flirting with each other for nearly four years? Did I imagine that? Is it strictly platonic when you sleep in my bed, or hang out around my apartment half-naked making me breakfast?”
“Well I didn’t think so but then you acted like being with me was the most preposterous idea you’d ever heard, so…”
His face softened as he remembered the way Kai had seemed to crumple and make a quick exit after their talk the previous morning. “Oh, Kai, I didn’t mean it that way.”
“Save it, it’s fine…”
“No, really. What I meant was, of course I didn’t make a move on you when you were drunk and totally out of it. I would never do that under any circumstances, and I certainly wouldn’t let our first time be like that.”
Kai perked up, raising an eyebrow at him. “Our first time?”
“I mean…” he stammered, “hypothetically…if we…were to have one…”
“Smooth, Nazario.”
He hid his smile between the last few bites of his burger. “Shut up.”
“Fine, but you have to start talking. I need to know all about how you ended up in bed with the hottest fucking guy I’ve ever seen.”
Damien groaned. “Fine. Ugh. But this stays between us, OK? It would be bad for him if word got out.”
“Fine, I’ll cancel my tell-all book plans. Now spill!”
“Riley.”
She woke to hot breath and a whisper in her ear. “Mmm. Good morning Drake.”
“I wasn’t really intending to sleep here last night…”
She laughed. “You were passed out in my bed when I got here.”
“Yeah, well.” He rubbed a hand over his sleepy, stubbled face. “You did give me a key, but you weren’t here when I got here, and I thought I’d wait. Guess I passed out.”
“Guess so.” She kissed his cheek. “So why were you coming to see me?”
He frowned, sitting up on the bed. “Riley…I think I know who killed Tariq.”