“You can call me Max,” he mumbled, not bothering to open his eyes.
“Thanks, Max.”
He could hear the happiness in Ed’s voice, even if he couldn’t see his smile. He shouldn’t feel a swell of warm joy rising in his chest over such a small thing, but it was there. Maybe it was part of the relief that came with being free and no longer in agonizing pain.
Some part of his brain argued that he should be more cautious. That this was all an evil trick. A plot by his attackers to trick him into giving up the tomb, but his brain kept returning to Ed.
The man appeared trustworthy.
And safe.
And sexy.
No. Bad brain.
“Hey, Ed,” he exhaled, the two words coming out slightly slurred. “You’d tell me if you were gonna kill me, right?”
“Yeah, Max, I promise. We’d tell you if we were planning that. But we’re not going to kill you or steal your scarab. We want to keep you safe.”
Ed continued talking in a low, soothing voice. It was a story about this friend who was kidnapped by his boyfriend and they all worked to help him escape. There was also something about a ferret. But maybe not. He might have dreamed that part.
All he knew was that he drifted off to the soothing sound of Ed’s deep voice as the man held his hand.
5
EDISON WALKER
They kept Max in bed for another twenty-four hours, which was about twelve hours longer than Will had expected him to last. Not that Ed blamed Max. It was obvious the guy had been on the run, kidnapped, beaten, and escaped—all after handing a priceless Egyptian artifact over to a complete stranger. Ed wasn’t all that sure he’d have been able to wait even those twelve hours if it were him.
As it was, Ed was already on pins and needles, dying to get all the details of the situation. And possibly be pointed toward the people he needed to beat the shit out of for hurting Max.
Wearing clothes borrowed from Kairo, Ed helped the anxious and shaky Egyptologist down the stairs to the first floor where the team had gathered.
“Don’t worry about these guys. Everyone is nice and eager to help you. Even if they can be assholes,” Ed reassured him as they neared the bottom of the stairs.
Max flashed him a crooked grin. “Don’t we all have those asshole moments?”
“Yeah, probably. Some of us have them more often than others,” Ed muttered, thinking specifically of West when the man was in a mood.
A low bubble of laughter rose from Max, and Ed glanced over to see the man shaking his head. “I don’t believe you could be an asshole.”
“Don’t count on it. Ed is excellent about being a total asshole when he wants to be,” Kairo called from the living room. Not that he blamed Kairo. When he was still in those very early stages of figuring out his relationship with Izzie, Ed might have joined in on the teasing Kairo suffered through.
Ed hovered close to Max’s elbow as the smaller man shuffled into the room, one hand pressed lightly to his tender ribs. He peeked at Max’s face when he came to a sudden halt, his eyes wide and mouth hanging open.
“When you mentioned you had friends here to help, this is a bit more than I was expecting,” Max said in a low voice.
“We’re Ed’s extended family,” Charlie stated as he rose from the seat he’d been in and extended his hand to Max. After they shook, Charlie introduced Max to all the men present before Ed ushered him over to an opening on the love seat.
“Are you feeling better now?” Isidore asked from where he sat on one of the dining room chairs. Kairo stood behind him, his arms wrapped loosely over his lover’s shoulders as if he always needed to mark Izzie as his. Ed wanted to shake his head as his eyes swept over Izzie. Dressed in a pair of jeans and a plain T-shirt, the billionaire somehow made it appear stylish, whereas any of the rest of them in that same outfit looked casual.
“I’m good. Better. Thanks to your doctor,” Max replied with a grin over at Will.
“Let’s keep it that way. You’ve still got stitches in you, and I’m not fixing them if you tear them open,” Will threatened, but Ed didn’t buy it.
“Got it,” Max answered with a cheeky wink. “So…not to put too fine a point on this, but who the fuck are you people? Don’t get me wrong. I appreciate you saving my ass, of course.”
There were chuckles all around the room, but Ed wasn’t surprised when Charlie spoke up first. Sitting in the old stuffed chair again with Will perched on the arm, Charlie leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
“We’re glad we could help. We’re a group of friends who have some unique skills and spare time on our hands that enables us to help people who maybe don’t want to take their issues to the cops.”