The lingering scent of antiseptic and fear still clung to the air after Liam’s ordeal. He was pale, but his smile, when Dean entered, was a fragile thing, a tiny bloom pushing through concrete.
Ethan followed, his face a mask of controlled fury.
The way Dean had leaned in, the possessive way he'd clasped Liam's hands… I saw it all.
A simmering resentment radiated from Ethan, thick enough to taste. My gut clenched. This was going to be a disaster.
"Mr. Dean, Mr. Ethan," Liam chirped, his voice too bright, too brittle. The cheerfulness grated on my nerves.
Dean, ever the picture of polished regret, knelt, his apology a low murmur close to Liam's ear. "I am so sorry for not getting the bad guys for you." His fingers tightened around Liam's. The intimacy was deliberate, a blatant dis
