Page 2 of Anything But Convenient

But talking — there was room for interpretation there.

People could lie.

Their bodies could not.

Sinclair wiped away his tears. I knew Memphis had to be ready to come down here and crack Detective Mills’s head open for making his partner cry. He was more than a touch infatuated with his ‘little barista’ at this point.

"I'm good now. I just hate it when they don't believe me. The first few times I tried to report Brad, the cops all thought I was a joke. They didn't like the fact that I was gay and in here complaining about my 'lover’, so they ignored me. Then I wound up in the hospital, my body so badly broken, there was no denying what happened. Only then did they listen."

Knowing he needed my support; I nodded along as he spoke.

"I believe you. There is a grave misunderstanding in the realm of assault. People believe men to be universally strong. They think nothing would dare harm us outside a bullet or something to that extreme."

"It's unfair.” He was almost pouting for how frustrated he appeared. It wouldn’t be right to smile, so I kept my face neutral.

Sinclair was a lovely man. I could see why Memphis was attached.

He wasn’t my type, though truly, I didn’t have one.

Sexuality was a nuisance most days. On the rare occasions I did feel the desire for that connection, it was usually enough to distract me from everything else.

"You are right. It is unfair. Maybe one day, society will see us as multifaceted. Women have been changing minds for a whilenow with their fight for equality. Hopefully, we can do the same in our fight for them to see the softer side of us. For them to understand that men can be survivors too."

It was more truth than I gave anyone else. I felt like he deserved it, given the circumstances.

The door opened before he could say anything else. Detective Mills came into view, his expression one of pure shock. A huge bloodstain covered his side, where his hand was pressed tight.

In the two seconds in which I froze, the man collapsed. The person behind him was none other than that stupid fuck, Brad Yancey Jr.

I didn’t have time to move.

Didn’t have a chance to react.

The shot went off, and I watched as the bullet sailed my way. I’ve heard it said that your life flashes before your eyes when you die. That wasn’t the case for me.

What I saw were pieces of a life I never got to live. A future I rarely let myself hope for.

Then there was nothing. Only darkness and pain.

CHAPTER 1

TAKESHI

Present Day

I keptmyself as still as possible on the bed. If I so much as stopped breathing evenly, they’d notice. It was too early for this. Too soon for me to have to face reality.

A deep voice murmured to the others, then I heard the distinct echo of shoes heading away from the room.

Finally, they were leaving.

“Enough of the playing chicken, Shi. I sent the others away. We need to have a chat,” Fabian said sternly.

I cracked my eyes open just in time to catch his wince. Raising a brow, I gave him a bland stare.

His poor choice of words hadn’t bothered me. His reaction did.

Since the shooting, people had taken to walking on eggshells around me.

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