11. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

M itchell woke to Seryn standing between him and the door. Seryn had his back to him. He kept a hand on Mitchell's arm. Todd and the emergency room doctor stood beside him. The three of them held hands.

Mitchell moaned at the pain. Seryn turned and put a finger to his lips. But he winked and gave Mitchell one of his good smiles. He mouthed, 'we're invisible'.

Mitchell nodded and shut his eyes. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he knew whatever it was, Seryn was protecting him. Again.

Mitchell owed him so much. He'd pay up as soon as he was able. As soon as his back stopped throbbing.

He opened his eyes again when the door opened. Two of the guards from the tunnels entered the room. They didn't hold guns, but that was probably because they didn't want to alert the hospital staff. No doubt they were probably under their jackets. It was clear they were going from room to room, searching for him.

And Seryn cast a spell, making them invisible.

Mitchell had a lot of questions about Seryn's…special abilities, but beyond that, they didn't scare him. Hell, he was way more fearful of Davorion's guards, but that was because he was still a prisoner, even if it was to his injuries.

The doctor shook so hard Mitchell could feel it shake his mattress, too.

The guard spoke. "He's not here. Let's go."

They left a second later, shutting the door behind him.

Seryn let go of Todd's hand and turned to Mitchell.

"Time's up." He whispered when he spoke.

Mitchell sighed. It meant he would have to move, even though he was in pain. He began taking the tape off his IV, but then the doctor took over.

His hands shook the entire time he was unhooking Mitchell, but he got the job done. He whispered under his breath, though. "You shouldn't even be out of bed. This is stupid."

"It's stupider if we sit here and wait for them to kill us. Or worse." The pain made his voice hoarse. His throat hurt. "Can I get some water, sweetheart?"

Seryn reached across him and plucked a white Styrofoam cup off the bedside stand thing. Mitchell hadn't noticed it, or he would have grabbed it himself. Seryn held the straw to his lips.

Mitchell drank. It went a long way toward helping his throat.

As soon as Mitchell finished, Seryn put the cup on the stand again.

The doctor finished up and then shut off the machines. As soon as he was done, he began opening drawers. He pulled out a plastic bag and began shoving things into it.

He handed the bag to Todd. "I need to grab some meds. I'll be back."

"We're not waiting." Seryn nodded to the door. "They're going room to room, so be careful."

"I'll just look like another doctor, right?"

"Until the moment you walk back in here."

The doctor shook his head. "I won't. I'll catch up. Hit the elevators at the west end of this floor. Go down to the first floor and then grab the service elevator to Parking Garage B. It's the employee entrance."

He turned to Todd. "You remember my car, right?"

Todd rolled his eyes. "Of course. I'm not an idiot. Catching you cheating should have told you that."

Mitchell's eyebrows went up, but otherwise he ignored Todd and Evan. "I'm going to need a wheelchair."

Seryn nodded, pulling a gun out of his coat and handing it to Mitchell. "I'll get it."

And then Seryn did something he hadn't before. He kissed Mitchell. It was just on the cheek, but it was still a kiss someone would give a lover when saying goodbye.

Mitchell grabbed Seryn's hand as he turned toward the door. "This isn't the first time Davorion has sent people?"

Seryn shook his head.

"Where did you hide the bodies?"

Seryn smiled. "The morgue."

The doctor sucked in a breath. "You killed people? In the hospital?"

Todd came to Seryn's defense. "What did you think happened? That he had a polite conversation? Jesus, Evan. Wake the fuck up."

Evan sighed and shook his head. "What the hell did you get me into?"

Todd huffed, attempting to sound offended. Mitchell wasn't actually sure if Evan was right or not, but it was clear Todd thought it was, even though he didn't want it to be true. Mitchell had passed out well before they'd arrived at the hospital. He didn't know what had happened while he was unconscious, but it was clear Todd and the doctor had history. "Oh sure. Blame it on me."

"It's your fault, Todd."

Seryn smiled and held up his free hand. That was all it took for Evan and Todd to stop. A second later, Seryn winced.

Mitchell beckoned him forward by tugging on his hand. "Come here, sweetheart."

Seryn came willingly. He leaned forward, laying his head on Mitchell's chest. The sigh let him know that Seryn, while always cool under pressure, had demons circling each other in his mind on a near constant basis, but Mitchell seemed to help them, although he wasn't sure how.

Mitchell wrapped his arms around Seryn, holding him. "Is this taking it away?"

"It helps."

"When we finally get out of this mess, you're going to explain everything to me."

"Yes, sir." Mitchell didn't like being called 'sir'. It made him feel as if he were some type of disciplinarian when all he wanted was to take care of Seryn. Mitchell owed him his life. He needed to give some of that back, and it seemed a little tenderness was what Seryn needed.

"How about you call me something else?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Just not sir."

Seryn pulled out of his arms. He gave Mitchell one of his genuine smiles. "I'm very glad you made it through surgery, mate."

"Were you worried?" Mitchell couldn't imagine someone who seemed as if he didn't have emotion holding even an ounce of worry. Seryn might smile, but most of the time even that appeared cold as ice.

Unless he directed it toward Mitchell, then there was something genuine in his gaze.

Seryn pressed their foreheads together and shut his eyes. "I was very worried."

"That's new for you, isn't it?"

Seryn opened his eyes and pulled away. "Yes. And I don't like it. I…expressed it through anger."

"At the hospital staff." Evan finishing Seryn's sentences wouldn't bode well if he tried doing it more than once.

Seryn turned to the doctor, giving him that cold smile. "Don't butt into our conversation ever again."

Todd sucked in a breath and actually put himself between them.

Evan seemed confused, probably because Seryn's tone was sweet, and he was calm when he spoke. Not only that, but his prettiness hid just how deadly he really was.

Mitchell took Seryn's hand. "He's going to be the person who fixes the shit I do to my body by moving around right after surgery. If you kill him, can it be after we get out of Duchester?"

"Or maybe not kill him at all." Todd's scowl was the fiercest Mitchell had ever seen him.

Evan sighed and took off through the open door as if his ass were on fire. "I have to get meds for him. As well as other supplies."

Todd shook his head. "I hope he comes back."

"Really? Because I thought he was the cheating asshole." Seryn also headed for the door.

Todd snorted. "Just don't kill him. Please, Seryn."

"Make sure your boyfriend knows to watch himself." It wasn't a promise not to. Seryn would definitely put a bullet through Evan's head without thinking twice about it.

As soon as Seryn left the room, Todd turned to him. "Evan is not my boyfriend."

Mitchell raised his eyebrows. "Mind helping me sit up."

Todd went to him, leaning in and putting his arms around him. "It's complicated between us."

With Todd doing most of the lifting, Mitchell sat in bed. "He cheats, but you still love him."

"Yeah."

"Doesn't seem that complicated to me."

"When you put it like that, it isn't?"

"Seems like he might love you back. He's helping us and fucking up his career. For you."

Todd sucked in a breath. "I never wanted that."

The door clicked open, and Seryn walked in. His eyes glowed red. Mitchell wasn't sure what it meant, but for the first time since meeting him, Seryn was angry.

Seryn pushed a wheelchair into the room and then shut the door with a click behind him. He only got so far into the room before he stopped and pulled out one of the biggest knives Mitchell had ever seen.

Seryn came up behind Todd, putting the blade to his throat. "Move away from him."

Todd stiffened and held up his hands. Mitchell was pretty sure Todd was even holding his breath.

"I asked him to help me sit up." Hopefully, it didn't get the kid killed. When Seryn didn't remove the blade from Todd's throat, Mitchell put an end to all the fuss. "Put the knife away."

Seryn complied. It disappeared into his coat.

Todd nearly ran across the room.

Seryn only had eyes for Mitchell. And that's when Mitchell understood what Seryn had meant by them being mates. At least in the sense that Seryn used the word as someone would with a mated pair of animals. But that was all Mitchell understood. He didn't know what else was involved or the why and how of it.

Jealousy rolled off Seryn in waves. There could only be one explanation, especially since Seryn felt little at all. But when he did, it was always either directed at Mitchell or because of him.

Mitchell crooked his finger at Seryn.

Seryn stood in front of him with his gaze averted to the floor.

"What do the red eyes mean?" Even though he asked, he'd already figured it out. He just wanted to have a conversation. He needed to know more about Seryn.

"Anger. It's a vampire trait." Seryn still wouldn't meet his gaze.

"And the blue glow you have now?" Mitchell held on to Seryn's waist.

"Just for you." Because Seryn thought of Mitchell as a mate? It seemed possible.

"What does it mean?"

Seryn sighed. "Mitchell."

"You don't want to tell me?"

Seryn shook his head.

"What if I command you to?"

"Then I will."

"But only then."

"Yes."

"I'm going to command you but later. After we're alone."

Seryn nodded. He turned to Todd, who eyed Seryn as if he were a ticking time bomb. Maybe in some ways he was. But if he was, he buried it just underneath the surface, waiting for someone to step on the wrong nerve. "Don't touch him. That's all."

Todd nodded.

"Lock the wheels on the chair. Please," Seryn said to Todd. He didn't wait to see if Todd did what he said, but wrapped his arms around Mitchell's waist. "I'm going to help you over to the chair."

"Alright." Mitchell held on to Seryn as he stood. Once he had his feet underneath him, he discovered the pain might be severe, but he was stable on his own. "I think I can make it."

"I'm not letting go, mate." But Seryn moved to his side, supporting him without being overbearing. It was only a few steps, but they were the most painful steps he'd ever taken in his entire life. He sighed in relief after he could sit again.

Todd grabbed the blanket off the bed and handed it to Seryn. "Not touching him. See? I'm handing it to you."

"Why?" Seryn unlocked the wheels.

"I was thinking we could use it to hide him."

Not the best plan, but it might work in a pinch. Mitchell grabbed it and put it on his lap. "Good idea."

"Push him," Seryn told Todd. He took the lead, opening the door slowly, scanning the area. When it was clear, he nodded for Todd and Mitchell to follow him. Getting into the hospital was a lot easier than getting out of it. He just hoped they got out alive.