28. Isaac

28

ISAAC

I saac knocked on the bedroom door, then waited for someone to say he could come in. When no one did, he debated whether he should come back again in the morning.

No. He needed to do this now. If he'd learned anything these past few days, it was that you should never wait. Never waste time with "Maybe later" or "It's too early to say."

No. Life was precious, and time was never guaranteed.

There were so many times these past few days when any of them could have been killed. Things would have gone unsaid, and truths would have gone unacknowledged.

Hell, even the women they rescued were a prime example. One minute, they were living happy, blissful lives, and then the next, they were suffering through an unimaginable nightmare.

No. Time was precious, and things needed to be done. Starting with this.

Turning the knob slowly, Isaac gently pushed the door back on its hinges.

The room was quiet and still, save for a gentle glow coming from two lamps that sat at both sides of the luxurious bed.

"Hello? Mr… Ares?"

Isaac realized that in all the years he'd known Ares, he never once heard his last name. Did the man even have a last name? Or was he just Ares, like Madonna or Cher?

Given the man's larger-than-life reputation, he didn't need a family name. He was Ares, the god of war , after all. And he definitely demonstrated that this evening. Or last night. Or whenever it was that they actually escaped. Time held no relevance to Isaac anymore. All he knew was that the moon was still out, and the rest of the world was blissfully unaware of the crucible they had all just survived in the Netherlands.

Well, survived with a few injuries.

Quietly, he entered the room and walked toward the bed.

On their way back home, Matteo had insisted that Ares stay in the chateau while he recovered. Even though Elijah patched the man up, Matteo insisted that Ares allow his personal doctor to check him out and make sure that the man didn't catch gangrene or syphilis or any other obscure but just as horrible communicable disease all because the man was too stubborn to get his wound looked at.

In the end, Matteo won the argument and Ares pretended that he hated the idea.

"Don't be shy. Come on in, boy," a coarse voice whispered from the motionless lump in the center of the bed.

Silently, Isaac walked around the bed, taking note of the IV bag hanging next to the bed as well as all the beeping monitors apparently keeping him alive if you asked Matteo.

Ares had fought the insistent Italian on the monitors and the IV bag, claiming that he had nothing but a flesh wound and that all of this fuss was totally unnecessary. In the end, guess who won out.

Stopping next to the bed, Isaac stared down at the half-broken man. He was ruggedly handsome in that rough and dangerous kind of way.

Judging by the tanned complexion of the man's dry skin, it appeared that he spent a lot of time out in the sun, exposed to harmful UV rays and possibly dry climates. Perhaps Egypt or somewhere in the Middle East? Isaac had no idea. The man was a frickin' mystery.

"Keep staring at a man like that, and you're bound to give the poor guy a complex," Ares said, his voice rough and dry.

"Sorry, I just realized that I don't know a lot about you," Isaac said, lifting a pitcher of water sitting next to the bed and filling a glass halfway. He added a straw, then brought the glass close to Ares's lips. "Here, have some water."

Ares lifted his head slightly and took a few sips before lowering his head back onto the pillow.

"Thank you, boy. You've got a kind heart."

"No. It's me who should be thanking you. Without you, your men, and your arsenal, there's no way I would have been rescued."

Ares gave him a half smile. "Matteo would have found a way. He thinks of you as family. And when his family is in danger, there's no stopping him."

Standing in the darkness, Isaac knew the man was right. They were all Matteo's family now, and there wasn't anything he wouldn't do for them.

"Still. I appreciate all your help. Even with keeping everyone safe."

"Everyone, like your man?" Ares's lips pulled back in a smug I know something, you don't know sort of way.

Isaac blushed.

"That man of yours, the angry one with the killer behind his eyes, he's crazy about you. You know that, right?"

Now, it was Isaac's turn to give the man a guilty smile. "Yeah, I'm starting to realize that."

The machine beside Isaac beeped, reminding the room that their patient was still alive.

"Do me a favor and take some advice from an old man," Ares began.

"You're hardly old," Isaac argued, giving the man a raised eyebrow.

"Well, I'm twice your age, so that basically makes me an old man." Ares chuckled, then grimaced at the pain.

His deep brown eyes carried with them such weight and wisdom. Isaac could only imagine the things this man had experienced over the years. Someone in Ares's position would have suffered much but also gained a lot in experience and exposure.

"As I was saying, if you're lucky enough to find love, no matter whom it's with, grasp it and never let it go. Don't hide your feelings, and above all, never hide who you are. I've lived many lives and conquered many battles, but the one battle that I truly lost was the battle for the heart of the person I cherish the most. Not a day goes by that I don't regret the decisions I've made, the lies I've told, and the opportunities I've lost."

The door to the bedroom crept open, and Matteo walked in slowly, carrying a tray with his back to them. He gave a slight jump when he spotted Isaac and Ares both staring at him.

"Oh, good. You're not dead," Matteo said, making his way into the room and resting the tray on the end table on the opposite side of the bed from Isaac.

Ares turned his head back to face Isaac. He gripped his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Remember the words of this crazy old man."

Isaac nodded and gave his hand a gentle squeeze back. "I will."

"What have I told you about taking advice from senile, old men? Especially ones who enjoy playing in the sewers," Matteo lectured Isaac.

Isaac smiled. Watching these two go at it like old high school enemies was entertaining.

"You just couldn't wait to get me back to your place and get me shirtless in bed, could you?" Ares asked, turning his focus to the man sitting at his left.

Matteo rolled his eyes. "Yes, because I have such a fetish for wrinkly skin and mounds of back hair."

Isaac chuckled.

"Wait till you see what I got growing under these sheets," Ares said with a pump of his eyelids.

"Isaac, go get me some of Diesel's anti-fungal cream. It sounds like Ares's rash is back again."

This time, even Ares couldn't help but chuckle.

"Are you ready to try eating some soup?" Matteo asked, helping Ares sit up in bed.

"I'm not sure I'm comfortable with this nice side of you. It feels weird and dirty," Ares protested.

"Well, when you help me save my boys, I have to show you a bit of kindness. But don't get too used to it. I still hate your fucking guts."

Ares chuckled. "What do I get for saving your life?" Ares asked, his voice lower than expected.

Matteo went silent as he stared at the injured man buried underneath several expensive blankets.

Isaac felt like he was intruding on a private moment.

"You get my gratitude…" Matteo went silent again as he looked down at his hands. "And some of my mother's famous minestrone soup."

Isaac wasn't sure if that was what Matteo really wanted to say, but the fact that he was being nice to Ares for once was definitely a good sign.

Ares smiled up at the man. "Well, then I'll count myself among the lucky few who get to enjoy her recipe. I hear that she was quite the cook."

"She was," Matteo whispered, still staring down at his hands.

It was time to go. These two deserved a bit of privacy.

"I'll give you two some time. Like I said, thank you again for all that you've done for me tonight. I owe you my life." Isaac squeezed the man's hand again. Then nodded to Matteo. "Good night, M."

"Night, Isaac," Matteo whispered, giving him a loving smile.

Isaac left the room and gently pulled the door closed behind him. He really wondered what had happened between Matteo and Ares all those years ago. He hoped that perhaps the two might be able to bury the hatchet and forgive one another for whatever caused this rift between them.

Before he went to settle in with Jared, there was one more person who he needed to visit.