Page 16 of Exposed
A banging on the front door followed swiftly by a nonstop doorbell ring had them turning toward the door. They exchanged a confused glance.
Jamison set the mug aside and waved for Kace to take a step back. The banging didn’t stop. He checked the peephole. Horror raced through him.
“Who is it?” Kace’s stage whisper cut through his shock.
“It’s Lucas—”
Before Jamison could finish his sentence, Kace stormed toward the door and ripped it open like he planned to tear off Lucas’ head. He, too, froze in horror. “What—”
Kace was shoved aside as two men helped Lucas inside. Blood covered nearly every inch of his clothing. Ajax and Hektor—tworoyal guards Jamison had hoped never to see again—dumped Lucas on the floor.
Ajax motioned toward him. “Fix him.”
Kace looked horrified. “What the fuck? He needs a hospital.”
“No hospital.” He pulled out a gun and pointed it at Jamison. His steely gaze never wavered from Kace. “You fix Lucas, or I kill your man.”
Kace took turns looking at everyone. He looked pale. Kace dropped to his knees at Lucas’ side. “Yeah. All right. What happened to you?”
“Don’t ask questions. Just work!” The barked words didn’t cow Kace the way Ajax obviously hoped. He leveled a furious stare at Ajax. “I can’t fucking fix things if I don’t ask questions. So why don’t you try shutting the fuck up and let me do my job?”
Ajax gave him a sharp nod.
Kace went back to Lucas. “I have to open this shirt. Tell me what I’m dealing with. Hold on.” He looked Jamison’s way. “I need my medical bag, plenty of towels, and lots of hot water.”
Ajax shook his gun, obviously trying to remind Kace he was still in charge. “This one stays.”
Kace could have frozen water into ice with the look he turned toward Ajax. “He knows where everything is, so he can get it the quickest. I’m starting to think you want your friend to die.”
Jamison didn’t wait for Ajax’s permission. He jogged toward the hallway to grab Kace’s things. Ajax wouldn’t defy Kace. Kace wasn’t weak. He would let Lucas die if Ajax hurt anyone. Jamison gathered as much as he could carry and dumped it at Kace’s side before jetting into the kitchen to fill bowls with scalding hot water. He had no clue if Kace actually needed any of this or if he just bought time. Maybe he freed Jamison to call the police. He couldn’t do that. Lucas ran drugs for the biggest crime lord in Atlantic City. His boss had everyone in his pockets. Considering that boss was a prince of The Republic of Serveno, he was untouchable. They were on their own.
When he made it back to the living room with two big pots of hot water and several washcloths, Lucas’ shirt had been cut away and Kace wore surgical gloves. As he bent to set the pans next to Kace, he got the full picture and froze. It looked as if Lucas had been stabbed multiple times in his torso. Jamison fought the PTSD that tried to overtake him.
A pained through-his-teeth chuckle left Lucas. “Look out. Jamison is about to fall apart and steal the spotlight.”
His sarcasm pulled Jamison back to reality. “Wow. Even when I could help save your life, you’ve decided being an asshole is more important.”
“You used to like my asshole.”
Kace froze for half a second. He didn’t look at anyone. Then he went back to work. Unfortunately, he saw exactly how stiff Kace had become. Goddamn it. Lucas really knew how to wreck his life. Always had.
If Jamison stayed, he would let Lucas goad him until Jamison finished him off. It was best he left. He stood and turned away.
“His third best skill after cuddling and fucking—running away.”
Rage had Jamison seeing red, but he still headed toward the kitchen. He heard Kace quietly speaking, but he couldn’t make out the words. His pulse beat too loudly. He grabbed the coffeepot and filled it with water. This would likely take some time, and this was something he could do for Kace. He turned to find Ajax leaned against the kitchen island, looking relaxed and like he wasn’t covered in blood.
“You know Lucas has always been a right cunt. That’s part of what makes him irresistible. Don’t let him get under your skin.”
Jamison filled the coffeemaker and found the coffee beans. “Do you think I’m any happier to see you or to have you threatening to kill me… again?”
Ajax rolled his eyes. They were a gorgeous gray that nearly matched the slight streaks of silver through his dark hair. He looked as polished—even covered in blood—as the prince he served. “Please. Spare me, mate. I know you’re not that weak. Since when does a gun at your head bother you?”
Jamison fought the urge to explode. “Since I left this life. I told all of you to stay the fuck away from me. This is a peaceful home. We have a nice, quiet, and normal life.”
“To be fair, we’re not here for you. It’s hardly our fault you chose a man who is a doctor and knows Lucas.”
He had been so upset, he had forgotten Kace knew Lucas. That got under his skin. “How does Lucas know Kace?”
