Page 73 of Saving Noah

“Sorry to interrupt, but I think now’s the perfect time,” Connor said as he and Wayne walked into the bedroom. Wayne sat down on one of the chairs around Noah’s bed so they could all be together while he recovered. Connor walked over to the bed, leaned down to kiss Noah’s cheek, and said, “I’m going to kick your sweet ass for knocking me out, making me look the fool, and getting this guy pissed at me.” He kissed his other cheek. “Just giving you a head’s up, little man. I’m talking turn you over my knee and blister your ass.”

Noah blushed. “I had to, Conn. He threatened to kill Zach if I didn’t do what he said. You know I couldn’t risk Zach’s safety. Anyway, I needed you out of the picture so you would be around to take care of Zach after I was gone. Dante will come for him, too. It’s gonna be your job to keep both of us safe, and I have no doubts at all that you’ll be able to do it.”

Connor grinned. “Stroke my ego, why don’t you, little man,” he teased. “Did you see my chest puff out with each word you said? Yeah, you may have just gotten yourself a reprieve. Of sorts. How ’bout I let Zachary blister your ass…and I’ll just watch? Sound fair?”

“Deal,” Noah answered with a weak grin.

Connor gave Zach’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze and then he went to stand behind Wayne, massaging his shoulders one second and then caressing his cheek the next. Zach wasn’t sure he would ever truly trust Wayne, but it was plain to see his best friend did. They were in love. It should have warmed Zach’s heart but, instead, made him feel queasy. Why couldn’t he trust Wayne? The man had been nothing but supportive during this entire ordeal.

Something still felt…off.

“So…we couldn’t help but overhear some of what you guys were talking about,” Connor said from his protective perch behind Wayne. “Noah, it isn’t right for you to have to pick between letting the FBI relocate you to some unknown place and you either leave Zach behind and break your heart or take him with you and break my heart. It just isn’t fair.”

“Thank you,” Zach agreed wholeheartedly. After their recent talks, he wasn’t surprised Connor was on his side, was going to allow him to kill another man. If anybody could help him pound the necessity of him killing Dante Moretti into Noah’s head, it would be Connor. Hell, he’d even take Wayne’s help at this point—Noah liked the other man. If it took him sucking up to Wayne to get Noah to go along with his plan, then he’d be the best damned sucker this side of the Mason-Dixon Line. “That’s what I was trying to tell Noah, but he’s too stubborn to see the facts right now. Me killing Moretti is our only way out of this fucking mess, and I’m more than willing to do it.”

Noah’s bottom lip literally puckered in a pout. Too bad. Zach couldn’t risk anything happening to the man he loved.

Wayne looked at Zach and said, “Zach, it isn’t right for you to do something that’s completely opposite of everything you’ve vowed to live your life for. You save people. You don’t kill them. Killing Dante Moretti, while the man deserves death more than Satan deserves hell, would kill a part of you…no, it would kill the best part of you. On top of that, it would destroy Noah. He would have to live the rest of his life with the guilt of knowing if your paths had never crossed, you wouldn’t have ended up taking another man’s life. Don’t get me wrong. Noah would be completely innocent, but nobody would ever be able to convince him of that.”

“Thank you,” Noah yelled with more life than he’d shown since they’d pulled him out of that tomb.

“Mind your own fucking business,” Zach growled at the man he already didn’t trust. “This has absolutely nothing to do with you.” Turning his glare to Connor, he said, “Get your man in hand, Conn. I don’t need his bullshit right now. Actually, I don’t need him here at all. I still don’t fucking understand your sudden involvement with my life. I lived here for months and you barely said more than twenty words to me. The minute Noah comes into my life, I can’t fart without it blowing the hair out of your eyes.”

Connor grimaced. “Dude, that was just in poor taste. Not only was the visual disgusting, but you’re so going to live to regret those words.” Connor shook his head. “Did I mention you were going to regret those words?”

“I regret introducing the two of you,” Zach roared as he started to stand up. The moment he moved, he noticed Noah grimace, so he quickly stopped moving and hugged Noah tight.

“You’re being an ass, Zach. I’ve told you over and over Wayne’s a good guy. Why do you insist on believing the worst about him?” Noah’s blue eyes turned to Wayne. “You wouldn’t do anything to hurt me, would you, Wayne?”

“Never, kid,” Wayne answered. “Never.”

“Oh…well, that clears that up,” Zach replied sarcastically. “Let me set all my concerns aside. You’ve given your word, so all’s good, right?”

Wayne’s eyes flickered up to Connor and then returned to Zach. “No, brother,” he answered quietly. “I’ve given my solemn Demon Oath to protect you. By protecting you, Noah obviously came along with the package.”

Noah frowned in confusion.

Connor looked worried and smug at the same time.

Zach felt like somebody had just ripped the rug right out from under his feet, and he was tumbling ass over head down into a ravine that had no bottom.Brother? Demon Oath?

He couldn’t be.

He had to be.

Why would a member of the Demons protect him? He was a traitor. When someone did what he did to the club, they disappeared off the face of the earth. For the first few years, he’d been certain they would come looking for him, determined to torture and murder him for his betrayal of the club. When that hadn’t happened, he’d convinced himself he must have some sort of protection because of his father.

Never would a member of the club be sent to protect him—his father hadn’t been that powerful.

“What are you saying?” he asked quietly. “Are you here to kill me, Wayne? Did my father send you?”

Wayne rolled his eyes in disbelief. “You are one stubborn son-of-a-bitch, Zachary Meadows. I just told you I’d taken an oath to protect you. That hardly puts me into the enforcer or sergeant-at-arms category.”

Zach couldn’t begin to understand what he was hearing. “I think you need to explain what’s going on,” he told Wayne. Another thought dawned on him and he turned to Connor. “Did you know this? Did you know who Wayne was associated with?”

Connor didn’t look the least bit contrite. “As soon as I saw him without his clothes on, I had a damned good idea. His tattoos looked awfully familiar. I questioned him on it, gave him a chance to explain, and then verified what he told me.” He glanced down at Wayne and grimaced. “Sorry, babe. Verifying is my thing…especially when it involves the people I love.” When Wayne didn’t look too upset, he leaned down a placed a quick kiss on his lips. “Which includes you now,” he said. “You’re one of the people I love now.” He winked. “Just in case you weren’t clear on that.”

“What? You just called up the local chapter of Demons of Riot and asked them to verify Wayne was who he said he was? It doesn’t work that way, Connor.” He turned and eyeballed Wayne. “Talk to me. Convince me I’m not a dead man. It’s been a few years since I reviewed the by-laws, but I’m pretty damned sure I remember you died for doing what I did to the club. You sure as hell didn’t get an order of protection.”

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