Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 84085 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84085 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
But as they pulled up to the rental house, with Kairo in his ear, reassuring him that West and Ed were on their way back, his anger was rising. How could Will be taking these chances with his life? What the fuck was so important to him that he’d take risks like this?
Oh, he didn’t doubt that it was for a good cause. Will was a natural-born, save-the-world crusader. It was part of the reason they got along so well. But Will’s type of crusading was supposed to be in the hospital or making sure kids were vaccinated.
He was not supposed to be chased by people who meant to kill him.
Charlie slammed out of the car and marched up to the front door with Will trailing behind him. As he stepped inside, he pulled the earwig out and handed it over to Kairo, who was still working behind his computer.
“You got any information on the people after Will?” Charlie demanded.
“Facial recognition has been a bust. It’s too dark outside of Will’s place to get a clean image of any of his stalkers. I’m working on pulling the plate from the car using any cameras you might have passed.”
“So, you’ve got nothing,” Charlie grumbled.
Kairo gave him an annoyed look. “I’m saying that I’m working on it, asshole. I might have been busy keeping everyone’s butts out of trouble a couple of minutes ago. Why don’t you ask Doc Will if he recognized any of them? That could make this entire process go a lot faster.”
That was the thing. He was trying to avoid talking to Will for a few minutes in order to get a handle on his emotions.
But Will wasn’t going to give him that chance.
“What the fuck, Charlie?” Will shouted at him as he came through the living room to stand at the edge of the dining room where Kairo had set up his workstation. “I want to know what’s going on. Who are you people? And don’t give me any more of that IT bullshit. We both know that’s a lie.”
“We’re the people that saved your ass!” Charlie roared. What hopes he had of getting his temper under control evaporated before his eyes. He marched toward Will, and to the man’s credit, he backpedaled only a couple of steps prior to catching himself. “My bigger concern is what a doctor is doing getting chased and shot at in the middle of the night.”
“I don’t see how it’s any of your business. This is my life. Not yours!” Will snarled.
“It’s my business when my people are put in danger—”
“I didn’t ask you to get involved!”
“Are you serious right now?” Charlie took a step forward, crowding Will so that he was forced to tilt his head upward, the light glittering in his fathomless blue eyes. “Do you think that I’d let you put your life in danger? That I’d just walk away when I know you’re going to get yourself killed?”
“Let me?” Will repeated, his voice jumping several octaves.
“Oh fuck,” Edison moaned from the doorway. Apparently, he and Westin had returned, though Charlie hadn’t heard it over their shouting.
“It’s better they get it out of their systems,” Westin muttered. From the corner of his eye, he could see his two friends bypass the living room and continue down the hall to the kitchen. They might not be in the room, but they’d be able to hear everything. Hell, the entire block could hear their shouting.
“You don’t get to make any decisions regarding my life,” Will continued the second both Ed and West were out of sight.
“I do if you’re going to throw it away on stupid, dangerous shit.”
“You have no say—”
“Listen very carefully to me, William,” Charlie said between clenched teeth. “If you don’t start telling me who the hell wants you dead, I’m going to set Kairo loose. In twenty-four hours, he will be able to tell me everything you’ve done with your life since the last time we saw each other in Paris. Every life you’ve saved, every person you’ve fucked, I’ll know it.”
Will’s eyes widened and he sucked in a harsh breath. He placed both of his hands against Charlie’s chest and shoved. Charlie rocked back, but he caught Will’s left wrist. Maybe it was the soft catch he heard in Will’s breathing when skin met skin. Maybe he was just beyond sensible thought at that point.
As he shifted to even footing, Charlie jerked Will into him. He captured Will’s mouth in a brutal kiss that tried to take everything from the man who was at long last in his arms. For two seconds, Will stood absolutely frozen. Charlie nearly pulled away.
And then Will moaned.
Nothing had ever sounded so fucking good.
The kiss went from angry to desperate in a flash. Charlie thrust his tongue into Will’s mouth and Will caressed it with his own while the fingers of his free hand twisted in Charlie’s shirt, pulling him even closer. Charlie cupped the side of Will’s face, his fingers sliding through silken brownish hair that had been kissed by the sun with little blond streaks.