Then, he paused.
“Can I say one more thing?” he asked.
Gryphen nodded, and Ian just watched him from behind sleepy half-closed eyes.
“I’m sorry that I helped him today. I would be upset too if the person I loved, who was assaulted, was left with a stranger.”
And there was the apology, and Gryphen would forgive him.
“Thank you for that. I appreciate that you understand the situation I’m in, and how Ian isn’t the only one healing from what happened to him. I’ve been with him since he was hurt. I’ve had to watch him suffer, and I’m protective of him for a reason.”
“I understand.”
Before he could leave, Ian whispered in Gryphen’s ear, reminding him.
“Oh, Graham?” he asked, getting his attention.
“Aye?”
“I need to see if you can get the man who tattooed Ian today here tomorrow morning for me.”
He lifted a brow.
“To kill him?”
He stared at him like he was nuts.
“No, Graham. We want to get matching tattoos. What kind of lunatic do you think I am?” he asked, laughing. “I don’t kill people. Well, not anymore.”
He relaxed.
“Aye, I can ask him to come. Anything else?” he asked, watching them in bed.
Gryphen shook his head.
“I think we’re done.”
With that, Graham just backed out.
“Good night, Ian,” he said. “And good night, Lord Carter,” he stated, closing the door behind him.
When he was gone, Ian laughed.
“If I disappear, he’s going to try and get into your kilt,” he said. “Don’t believe my death was an accident.”
Gryphen snorted.
“Nah, he’ll be okay. He’s totally going to go jerk off and be over it,” Gryphen stated. “If you’ve seen one Marine fucking, you’ve seen twenty.”
Ian was curious.
“Did he still have an erection?”
Oh, he absolutely did, and he was pretty sure in his position, he’d have one too.
“Yep.”
Ian snorted.