Page 96 of The Finding Series: Vol. 1

A sick feeling went through Luke. God, had Gray known even then how sick he was? Had he been facing his disease by himself the whole time?

“Good advice, right?” Dane said softly and Luke realized the man had stopped loading the box and was staring at him thoughtfully. The words he wasn’t saying rang loud and clear.

“Gray and I are just friends,” Luke murmured.

Dane’s eyes went from his to the box in his hand. “I’d buy that if I didn’t see how scared you are for him,” he said as he motioned to the box.

He supposed the easiest way to set Dane straight would be to tell him he wasn’t interested in men but he couldn’t force the words past his lips. He still wasn’t interested in men…he was only interested in one man. The proof of that was standing right in front of him. Dane was a good looking guy, kind-hearted, sweet. And though Luke’s encounter with Jax the other night had been brief, he hadn’t missed how stunning the man was and that his build was similar to Gray’s. But he didn’t feel even a hint of attraction towards either man. Whatever was going on with him, it was unique to Gray and only Gray.

Luke was saved from having to come up with an adequate response when the bell went off indicating someone had entered the building. A loud voice called out, “Dane, you here?”

“Back here,” Dane responded.

Luke saw Jax stiffen on seeing him when he entered the small supply room but he didn’t hesitate to lean down and kiss Dane in greeting. “Where’s Emma?” he asked as his hooded gaze glanced at Luke who’d automatically taken a few steps back to give the lovers some space.

“In the house with Mrs. Greene.”

“Where’s Gray?” was the next question out of Jax’s mouth and Luke didn’t miss the tension in the big man’s frame as he looked at the supplies in the box.

“Tell you in a sec,” Dane said softly and then his hand was stroking over Jax’s arm as if to ease the man. And damn if it didn’t just work because Jax immediately dropped his arms and laced his fingers through Dane’s. The sight did something to Luke’s insides that temporarily pushed away the stress of being in such close proximity to the lawman who was in full uniform and the knowledge that all the guy had to do was ask Luke for ID and he was screwed.

“Luke,” Dane said gently and Luke finally tore his gaze from Jax’s long enough to look at the vet. “I could come back to Gray’s place with you and help out,” he offered.

“Dane, I’m sorry…” Luke began to say but then shook his head. How could he tell the man that it would need to be Gray’s decision if and how much he would say about his condition?

But Dane saved him by saying, “Remember to text me and ask him to call me when he’s feeling better. And if you need anything, anything at all…”

Luke quickly nodded. “I’ll call. And I’ll make sure he calls you. Thank you,” he added as he began backing towards the door. Jax’s eyes narrowed again but he remained silent. Once Luke was out of sight, he hurried towards the front of the clinic. He heard lowered voices behind him but a quick glance over his shoulder showed that Jax wasn’t following him. Still, he didn’t manage a deep breath until he was actually in the truck and had pulled the gun from its hiding place and tucked it into his pants. Unfortunately, his relief was short-lived because after that, his only thought was to get to back Gray.

* * *

He finally felt warm, so it had to be a dream. Gray would have chuckled at the absurdity of it all if he’d been awake. He’d fallen pretty far to be so excited about something as simple as not feeling the endless, bone deep chill that had consumed him since the first time a nurse had stuck the needle in his arm that would deliver the poison that would have to slowly kill him in order to save him. What he wouldn’t give for the good old days of dreaming about being buried balls deep in a hot guy with a tight ass. Hell, he’d even take the more standard - albeit fucked up - dream where he was standing on the sidelines of his own life watching everything he’d worked for come to fruition and wishing he could somehow undo it all.

No, warm was good. He’d take warm. It was that thought that had him snuggling farther under the covers but then he felt the tell-tale sting of the needle in his arm and he sat upright.

“No,” he whispered as his gaze focused on the needle buried deep in his vein.

“Gray-”

“Not enough time,” he muttered as he reached to yank the offending thing out of his body. He was finally feeling almost human.

“Gray, don’t,” he heard a stern voice order and then his hands were being gripped in a strong hold.

“Luke,” he said as the final fog of sleep lifted. “I’m supposed to have a week in between treatments,” he said desperately.

“It’s just fluids, Gray,” Luke said as he settled his weight onto the bed next to Gray.

Gray glanced up at the IV dangling from an eyelet attached to the wall. It was then that he realized he wasn’t even in the hospital. He looked back down at the needle in his forearm. “What…who did this?”

“I did,” Luke said quietly. “You were dangerously dehydrated. It was either this or the hospital.”

The warmth that was spreading through Gray’s body was nothing compared to the heat around his wrists and he glanced down to see that Luke was still holding his hands.

“Don’t try to pull it out, okay?” Luke said and when Gray nodded, Luke released him. “How do you feel?”

“Good,” Gray responded. And he did. Besides feeling warm, he didn’t feel like he’d gone ten rounds with a heavyweight boxer and the endless nausea was actually non-existent for once. “How long have I been asleep?”

“Almost sixteen hours,” Luke answered.

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