He returned to the metal table. “Would he have suffered long? Could he have survived this had someone been there to administer medical care?” As he posed his questions to Dr. Singh, he took up his brother’s hand and held it between his, trying to warm it.
For years, he and Markus had gotten into so many disagreements over the shadows Lucian had insisted on assigning to him. In the end, because it had started affecting their relationship, especially when Markus took the invasion-of-privacy stance, Lucian had caved and called his boys off.
Dr. Singh’s gaze was again skipping around, and it only got worse when the crew that had been waiting in the hallway filed in. But the doctor didn’t evade the question, which was a wise decision.
“From the preliminary examination I was able to perform when he first arrived, I saw that Mr. Fane had been struck in the back of the neck. From the angle of entry and lack of an exit wound, I can only assume the bullet is embedded in his spine. The few crime scene photos that were sent to me so far also show a large amount of blood, which means a major blood vessel had been hit. I wouldn’t say he was killed instantly, but I will say he wasn’t conscious for long before his system became overwhelmed and shut down.”
What was “for long”? A minute? Three? Five? Lucian put his hand out. The doctor eyed it for a moment before shaking it.
“Thank you for your honesty. There is no greater nuisance than when someone wastes my time with evasion.”
“Of course.” The doctor scanned the faces of men one didn’t look into for any length of time without coming away with raised hairs on their nape. “I will leave you now. If you have any more questions, I will be at my desk.”
“Expect my team here shortly, Dr. Singh. We will be taking my brother home. Thank you for all you’ve done.”
“Er, there is an on-going investigation which prevents me from releasing the body, Mr. Fane.”
“They will have the proper paperwork.”
A new wariness entered the doctor’s dark eyes. “Of course. I’ll have everything ready.”
“Thank you.”
Lucian waited until the door swung closed before patting Markus’s hand and laying it under the sheet. “Had I listened to my instincts instead of trying to appease you, I might still have you here with me tonight because Claude is medically trained.”
He spoke quietly and in Romanian, keeping this between him and his brother. Claude Moraux was the last shadow he’d assigned before finally giving in and ending the practice.
“Claude was the one you saw when you went to the gym. He was the one you saw at the theater. The one you saw at IKEA the day you called to remind me how amusing a mundane act such as shopping for a new bedroom set could be. I should have made the time to be there personally. You can be sure I will live with that regret forever, and so many more.”
His lips curved as he remembered that walk through the chaotic store. He’d seen Claude through the screen, a few steps behind Markus. Lucian’s smile lingered when he remembered the look in the shadow’s eyes.
“I still do not know how or when you realized he was one of mine.” He sighed. “Or maybe I do. You saw so much more than you ever said. But not even you would have been able to catch sight of him…unless he wanted you to. Did I ever tell you he requested you as an assignment? I think he did so for reasons that weren’t entirely professional, and I believe he let you know this. That’s when you put your foot down and insisted I stop with the protection detail.”
I hope you were happy together in your private world, he finished silently. I only wish you would have felt you could share it with me. I would never have judged you, brother. But you knew that. Yet you still would not admit to me who you really were. Why?
He wasn’t sure if Gabriel and Alek knew Markus was gay, and now it didn’t matter.
Turning, he studied Markus’s friends. “Aside from Sorin, you boys have been the closest thing Markus and I have ever had to what people refer to as an extended family. I’ve eagerly offered my aid to most of you when I could.” He looked to Gabriel. “I stood feet away from you when you began your future last summer, and now she will gift you with a new life soon.”
He walked over and stopped in front of Vincente. “I’ve always felt sorry for what you went through with your sister. I never once thought a time would come again where I would personally identify with you. Now we share a loss, and I once again understand that look of vengeance that glows in the back of your eyes. I did not want to revisit this place, but, as you well know, what we want and what we get are usually two very different things.”