Leo (Vigilance 3)

I grabbed at the doorframe to stop X from taking me back to bed. I knew once I lay down, I’d be out cold. “Ezra!”

Both Ezras in my line of vision smiled. “You can tell me later. You need to rest.”

“I love you.” I said the words as I fell onto the bed, or at least I tried to. I wasn’t sure they actually made it out of my mouth. Someone placed a soft pillow under my head, and I couldn’t think anymore.

The next time I woke, Ezra was gone.

X was sitting on a couch near the bed, and Emilio was there too. The younger man seemed to have fallen asleep with his head on X’s shoulder, and X had his arm around him. I had so many questions about that, but I couldn’t manage to hold my eyes open.

I came more fully awake sometime later. X was no longer there. This time Niall and Giorgio were seated on the couch in my room.

“How come you’re not in bed?” I asked Giorgio.

“Because I can actually stand on my own.”

“Lucky you. I don’t care what the doctor says. I’m leaving here tomorrow.”

Niall protested. “I don’t think—”

“Neither one of you would stay either.”

They both huffed.

“Tell me I’m wrong.”

Neither did.

“I need one of you to drive me back to Boston in the morning.”

“I’ll do it,” Niall said. “But you’re going straight home.”

“I’m going to my shop.”

Giorgio snorted. “You think someone’s going to trust you to do their ink in this condition?”

“No, that’s not—Never mind. I also need a few things.”

“What are they?” Niall asked. “This house is very well stocked.”

“A dozen pink roses. No, two dozen. The largest box of chocolates you can find, a good quality sketchbook, a quality fine line pen, and a set of watercolors.”

“Wow. You’re quite the princess when you’re injured,” Giorgio said.

I scowled at him. “They’re for Ezra.”

Niall was smiling. “So you aren’t going to be an idiot?”

“Fuck no. I’m going to my shop to see him and make sure he knows he’s never getting rid of me.”

“Then I’ll get you what you need.”

33

Ezra

I’d allowed Niall to bring me home because I knew Leo would want someone to check on the shop. Also, the doctor said he’d need several days of bed rest, and I knew if I didn’t clear his calendar, he’d insist he was fine like he’d tried to as he wavered on his feet in front of me.

As I worked on placing a supply order, I thought about the last moments before Leo had given into his pain meds. What he’d said as he’d fallen onto the bed had sounded so much like “I love you,” just like the words he’d said to me as he lost consciousness after killing Swain. Was there any way I’d heard right?

I’d sent the order off and headed to the storage closet when I heard the door open. I froze. There were guards outside the store, but after all that had happened the last few days, I wasn’t sure I’d ever feel fully safe again.

“Ezra?”

It was Leo. I ran to the front of the shop. “What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be resting?”

Before he could answer, Six came in carrying an enormous bouquet of pink roses. He was followed by Muffin who had two boxes.

“Where do you want these?” Six asked.

“On the desk is fine.”

Once they set the things down, they headed back to their posts.

“What’s all this?” I asked, staring at the flowers and the boxes, one of which obviously held chocolate truffles.

“They’re for you.”

How had he gotten all this and why? “You didn’t need to bring me anything.”

He smiled. “You said you wanted the whole fairy tale. This is the closest I could come on short notice. My home doesn’t have a fence or a garden or a dog.”

“The dog part could be remedied.”

He smiled. “Maybe, but for now I brought you what any good romantic hero would. Flowers, chocolate, and… Open the other box.”

I pulled off the ribbon and lifted the lid. Inside was a watercolor of roses that matched the ones in the vase except these were on a climbing vine. They curled around a trellis, and the detail was amazing. They reminded me of the tattoo picture I’d admired the day Leo had hired me.”

I looked up at Leo. “Did you paint this?”

“Yes. For you.” Not only had he chosen to share his art with me, he’d made me a special piece. “The roses remind me of you. They’re beautiful and delicate, but they have thorns to defend themselves. They aren’t as fragile as they seem.”

No one had ever said anything that incredible about me. My heart thumped against my chest. I wanted to respond, but I couldn’t. All I could do was stare at Leo in wonder.

“Giorgio told me what you did. How you saved us. I didn’t even know you knew how to use a gun.”