Page 6 of Inevitably Yves

Lorenzo.

Simply allowing the name to play in my thoughts causes pain. I thought I had killed his memory completely, but lately…it’s been resurrected. Why? Only the gods know.

I feel Syn’s presence before I hear his knock on my door. “Enter.”

He does. Alone. I’m so used to seeing his mate by his side that the sight of him alone is almost startling.

“I want to come with you,” he says.

“It isn’t necessary.”

“Just the same.” He approaches me, coming to my side of the desk. “It’s unusual. You may need support.”

I nod, gazing up at the man I once loved. Or tried to love, at least. I press my hand to his torso, and his gaze softens.

“Something is happening to me, Syn.”

He kneels before me. “Something? What do you mean?”

“For weeks now the past has haunted me. Relentlessly. I don’t understand why.”

“The past?”

“At first, I wrote it off as memories compressing, but it’s more than that.” I focus on Syn’s face. “I can see my maker every time I close my eyes.”

Syn’s brow creases. “Your maker? Hadrian?”

Nodding, I swallow hard. I haven’t heard his name spoken by another since I first told Syn about him. Whenever I repeated the story after that, I left out his name.

“And…” I close my eyes briefly as more memories flood back. “The man I once loved.”

Syn’s expression hardens. “Marcello?”

He practically spits the name.

“No, thankfully. Long before him. I didn’t tell you about him. It was too painful.”

He rubs my thigh. “Do you want to tell me now?”

Gripping his hand in mine, I consider whether I’m ready to put words to my painful past. I’m not.

“No, but only because I don’t think I can yet. All I can say is that I lost him long ago.”

Syn nods, studying my face. “I’m going with you.”

“You should stay with your mate. I’ll be fine.”

“Bowie is fine. You need support. I won’t accept no as an answer.”

“Yeah, I’m coming too.” We both look to the door as Thorn enters. “No way are you going alone.”

Instead of fighting my brothers, I submit to their concern and affection for me. “If I’ve done anything right in this long life of mine, finding all of you has been my biggest achievement. Your loyalty is my highest honor.”

Thorn, smacking his gum and leaning on the doorframe, just grins. “My dude, you’re everything to us. I stopped the others from coming along. You’re welcome.”

I finally crack a smile. “I am a lucky man. We should get going. The meeting is downtown at the Mercurial Hotel.”

Syn whistles. “Posh digs.”

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