Evans, Gabrielle - From This Moment [The Moonlight Breed 7] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic Ma by Gabrielle Evans (ebook reader with highlight function .TXT) 📗

Okay, well, that line of questioning hadn’t produced very good results. “Where are the other patients from The Hive?” He wasn’t really close friends with any of them, but he wouldn’t mind  saying hello to a couple of the guys.

“Other patients?” Cian cocked his head to the side as he set up straighter in his chair. “What patients? Zavion, were there others there? We thought they were all transferred to Bridgemont.”

“Well, yeah,” he answered in confusion. “I mean, I guess they could have moved them after we escaped, but there were six others still there when I left.” He held his hand up and started ticking them off on his fingers as he recited names.

“Shit,” Cian spat as he jumped up from the table and retrieved his cell phone from his pocket. “We didn’t find any patients.” He paced the tiles while he mumbled under his breath. “Yeah, Flynn, we’ve got a problem.”

It was a beautiful sunny day with temperatures in the upper sixties. Zavion had been hoping to talk his mate into a picnic down by the pond later. That obviously wasn’t going to happen now.  Sometimes, being in love with an Enforcer just sucked.

Then again, he wouldn’t give up Cian for anything in the world, so he’d just have to learn to  deal with it. The man was always working, something always needed his attention, and of course, there

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was the constant worry that something would happen to him while he  was out on assignment.

“Where are you goin’?” Cian asked when Zavion rose from the  table and headed for the back door.

He needed someone to talk to, someone who would understand,

and only one name came to mind. “I’m going to see Braxton.”

96                        Gabrielle Evans

Chapter Eleven

“I don’t want a goddamn nap. I don’t want to eat. And I sure as  hell don’t want some crackpot idiot in here trying to make me move  this worthless fucking arm!”

“Well, he seems cheerful.”

Braxton sighed as he set a cup of coffee in front of Zavion. “Yeah,  Logan’s been in there talking to him for almost an hour, and it just  keeps getting  worse.”

“I’m sorry, Brax. I really am.”

“Yeah, well, we’ll get through it. He’s feeling depressed and  useless right now. I’m just glad he’s still alive to yell at everyone.”

“Why do you let him do it?” Zavion hadn’t intended to just jump  in feet first like that, but it was the perfect opening.

Braxton snorted before taking a sip of his own coffee. “No one

lets Alexander Brighton do anything. He’s as stubborn as they come,  but his heart is in the right place. Being an Enforcer, helping others, it  makes him happy.”

“Yeah, but how do you stand it? I mean, don’t you worry about  him?”

“This is about Cian, isn’t it?”

Zavion folded his hands together in his lap and bobbed his head.  “I’m really am sorry that Xander got hurt, but yes, I’m worried about  Cian. It could have just as easily have been him. I don’t know what to

do.”

“There’s nothing you can do,” Braxton said with a thoughtful  expression as he set his mug back on the table. “They know the risks,  and we can’t stop them. All you can do is love Cian, support him,

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hope for the best, and remind him that someone is waiting at home for

him.”

“And be prepared for them to act like they lost a limb if they get  hurt,” Keeton added as he bounced into the kitchen. “Damn, Xander  is going to rip Logan’s head off.” He placed his hand over his mouth  to muffle his giggle. “I know it’s not funny, but they’re acting like  little boys.”

“Xander kind of did lose a limb,” Braxton said quietly, not at all  his usual cheerful self.

“Oh, pfft,” Keeton scoffed, smacking Braxton on the shoulder. “If  he’d quit being a dick and actually do his physical therapy, he’d be  fine. He’s just pouting.” His eyebrows shot up to his hairline and  began to wiggle devilishly. “Maybe you should give him some  incentive.”

The smile was slow to spread, but before long, Braxton was grinning like a loon. “I think that might just work.” He sprang out of his chair and hugged his friend tightly. “You’re a genius, Kee.”

Keeton huffed at his fingernails and pretended to polish them against his chest. “I know.” Once Braxton was out of the room, he turned to Zavion and pointed a finger in his face. “You, stop moping.  You almost died, but you didn’t. You were almost kidnapped, but you weren’t. You have a gorgeous piece of Irish deliciousness fawning all

over you. What the hell do you have to be so Debbie Downer about?”

Well, when put that way, Zavion really didn’t have a response. “I  was going to ask Cian to go on a picnic, but then he was on the phone,  and well…”

“Well, nothing. No matter what he has going on, he can take half  an hour to chew on a chicken bone with you.” He flapped his hands  toward Zavion. “Shoo. Go get him. For the love of Christmas, I really  should run this place. Things would be much less dramatic.”

Zavion did as directed, but he giggled the whole way  out the door.  Keeton’s name was synonymous with drama. Hell, the guy turned the  most mundane tasks into life-altering events. He’d worry about

98                        Gabrielle Evans

Keeton’s slightly cockeyed views of himself later. Right then, he had a mate to seduce.

It wasn’t that far to the back door of the cabin he shared with his

friends, but excitement made him breathless. “Cian!”

It wasn’t his lover who greeted him, though. “I think he’s in the  shower,” Oscar informed him around a huge yawn. “Damn, I’m  exhausted. Demitrius kept me up most of the night.” His cheeks tinted  pink with the confession, and his eyes rounded comically. “Sorry.”

Zavion waved him off with a chuckle. “You forget that our rooms  share a wall.” His mate hadn’t been as forthcoming with the physical  love since Zavion had fallen ill,