For several long moments, Nox stood there, then slowly he raised his gaze. “You’re sick.”
Luca’s stomach dropped.
Nox seemed to catch himself. He let Luca go and retreated. “I’m sorry, that was…” He turned.
“Leukemia.” Luca had no idea why he said it. Nox was right, it was none of his business. Even if he could smell the disease.
Could other people smell Luca’s cancer? He’d never even considered the idea.
Nox turned back around but stayed at the door. “Are you getting treatment?”
“Not this time.”
The muscles across Nox’s shoulders tensed, and he balled up his hands.
Luca shrugged. “I’ve had it twice before. Treatment isn’t an option this time.” Luca gave Nox his back again and stripped off the rest of his clothes. He left them on the sink, climbed in the tub, and closed the curtain.
Nox was a momentary blur behind the sheet of gaudy pink plastic, then he closed the door.
Luca turned on the shower.
*****
Luca was sick.
No, not just sick—he was dying.
When the deep earthy flavor of arousal permeating Luca’s skin failed to erase the sickly sweet odor he bled, Nox knew then it wasn’t fear pulling at his instincts, making his skin itch, and caused his pulse to race.
It was death.
Had Koda sent Nox here to save his brother for nothing?
It didn’t matter. Koda’s orders hadn’t been contingent on Luca’s health.
The door to the bathroom was closed. Water beat the tile walls, the porcelain tub, and bare skin. Luca’s sobs blended with the hush so smoothly anyone else would have missed it.
Anyone else not like Nox.
But the others weren’t like him either.
Koda had lost weight, and the cotton pants and shirt hung loosely on his frame.
“Why me?” Nox trembled.
“Because they’ll go after my brother. He’s the only one who could do what they want.” Tears filled Koda’s eyes, but there was no fear in his gaze. “I need you to protect Luca. Do you hear me? I’m ordering you to protect him. Nothing else matters. Nothing. Do not let any of them get to him.”
A knock sounded at the motel room door. Nox left Luca’s clothes on the bed and almost forgot the towel he’d grabbed off the rack. He wrapped it around his waist.
Butter, meat, spices, bread: it seeped through the crack in the door with a healthy dose of teenage sweat.
Another knock.
“Hang on.” Nox grabbed a fifty off one of the stacks of money he’d left on the dresser. He opened the door.
The kid watched two women kissing and groping each other between a couple of cars. One of them glammed out, the other business. The kid bounced his head to the noise blaring through his earbuds.
Nox cleared his throat.