25. Barrett
25
BARRETT
Marshall stood in front of me with a pen injector filled with his migraine medicine in his hand.
“I’m not sure what you want me to do with that,” I told him.
“You have to give me the shot. I’m afraid if I do it, I’ll jerk my hand away if it hurts.”
I backed up until I ran into the counter. “I’m not a doctor.”
“There are tons of people who give themselves injections.”
“Then do it to yourself.”
He rolled his eyes. “I already told you why I can’t. I’ve read the directions and know exactly what to do. Just follow what I tell you.”
I saw a second one on the table. “Why the hell do you have two of them?” There was no way I was doing it twice. I didn’t even want to do it once.
“The first dose is two shots. After that, it’s one a month.”
Someone buzzing the door saved me from having to do anything. I walked over to it like my ass was on fire. No way was I injecting my brother. I’d probably do it wrong and hurt him or fuck it up somehow.
“Yeah?” I said after I pushed the button.
“It’s me.”
I buzzed Reghan inside.
This morning, I woke up sore from what he did to me last night, not that I was complaining. I’d take that soreness any day for the experience of being with him. It was nothing like I’d had with anyone else. Of course it wouldn’t be. This was Reghan, the man I’d lusted after for far too long. Now I had him whispering sweet shit to me and making my head spin.
Unlocking the door, I opened it a sliver so Reghan could walk in when he got here. My brother stood in the same spot I left him in, arms crossed, staring me down.
“No,” I told him.
Reghan entered a moment later, his gaze bouncing between us. “What’s going on?”
“Can you?” Marshall asked, holding the pen injector out to him.
“Sure.” Reghan took his coat off and draped it over the arm of the couch then went into the kitchen to wash his hands. “Do you have alcohol wipes and a cotton ball?”
“Yes, to the wipes, no to the cotton ball. What do I need that for?”
“You can bleed slightly from the injection. I use it to gently dab away the blood.”
“See!” I yelled. “This is why I’m not doing it. I don’t want to make you bleed.”
“Good god, Barrett. Reghan can handle it from now on. You won’t have to worry about it.” He left to go into the bathroom.
“Raiden won’t do it either,” Reghan said. “I’d rather have someone else give it to me and he refused.” For some reason, I didn’t like the idea of anyone injecting him. I couldn’t do it for Marshall, but I was irritated about someone else doing it to Reghan? Sure, that made sense.
“Who?”
“Sheldon.”
“I shouldn’t be surprised.”
“He does it like he’s ordering coffee. Doesn’t affect him one bit.”
“Does anything?” I asked.
“Forest.”
“That’s right. Hartley’s brother gets him all worked up.”
“Ready,” Marshall said when he returned. He took a seat at the kitchen table and pushed his shorts up, exposing his thighs.
“Do you want me to take care of it all?” Reghan asked.
“If you wouldn’t mind. I can watch so I know for next time.”
Reghan nodded and sat opposite him. “Did you let the medicine sit out for a bit?”
“An hour.”
“Good. I’ll give you one in each thigh.” Reghan took the alcohol wipe and swabbed one leg, then reached for the pen injector, twisting off the bottom cap, and turning the top. “Don’t tense, okay? It’s going to hurt worse than other shots so don’t try to pull away either. It will be done before you know it, then we’ll do the other side.”
“I’m willing to do anything to not feel this pain anymore.”
“You’ll probably still get migraines but much less frequently and not nearly as severe. At least, that’s how it works for me. Okay, stay still.”
I watched as Reghan gently pressed the base of the pen injector to my brother’s thigh. He offered his free hand for Marshall to squeeze, which he took, and Reghan pressed the button. My brother’s face pinched in pain but only seconds went by before there was another click and the shot was done.
Reghan reached for the cotton ball to carefully blot away the small amount of blood on my brother’s leg then capped the pen. “How was it?”
“Didn’t feel good, that’s for damn sure.”
“No, but it’s done now. Seconds of pain for what will hopefully be much less every day. Let’s do the other side.” He repeated what he did the first time until the other shot was in and cleaned up.
My brother… Fuck. He looked at me with a smile that was so big I wanted to hug him. This could be a game changer for him, and I had Reghan and Alton to thank for it.
I was so damn pissed at Reghan last night, but seeing the smile on Marshall’s face, it was worth letting Reghan help. When Marshall went to pick up the medicine, the pharmacist said it was taken care of. For all I knew, they worked for Jordan too. Nothing would surprise me.
Marshall stood and, without hesitation, leaned forward to wrap his arms around Reghan. “Thank you,” he whispered. “For Alton, for help with the medication, and for making my brother smile.”
Reghan embraced him back. “You’re welcome.” It came out a bit rough. I bet if I looked, he’d be a bit choked up like I was.
Seeing the two of them this way meant a lot to me. It made my heart twist and my breath catch. Reghan was so much more than I ever gave him credit for in the past.
Marshall cleaned up and put everything where it belonged before retreating to his room.
Staying in the chair, Reghan had his eyes on me as he leaned back and spread his legs a little, getting comfortable. I walked to him and straddled his waist, sitting on his lap. My fingers ran from his temple to his cheek, where he had a bit of dark scruff, to his mouth, where I brushed my thumb over his bottom lip.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
“For what?”
“A lot of things. Getting pissed at you last night, arguing with you, but most of all for not seeing what was right in front of me.”
“You aren’t the only one who’s good at hiding things.”
“No, but I could have opened my eyes and really looked at you, saw who you were, and why you reacted to me the way you did.” I was a fool. It was a mistake I wouldn’t make again.
Reghan brought his arms around me, his hands settling on my ass to drag me forward. I looked down at him, but he was the one with the power. “We both could have done things differently. This isn’t all on you.”
“You’re going to keep paying for Marshall’s meds, aren’t you?” He said he would. While I hated that it wasn’t me, I was grateful for Reghan’s generosity.
“You’re going to keep giving me shit for it, aren’t you?”
“No. I just said I was sorry for that.”
“Uh huh.” He wasn’t convinced, not that I blamed him.
“I hate that I can’t do it without dipping into savings.”
“One day, hopefully soon, you’re going to realize there is nothing I won’t do for you.”
“You hardly know me.” It wasn’t a flimsy wall, more like a curtain. A thin piece of material keeping what little bit of myself left from completely letting go and giving him all of me.
“Do I know your entire life history? No. Do I need to? Also no. It doesn’t matter to me, unless you want me to hear it. If you do, I want it to come from you, but it’s not necessary. All I need is who you are in this moment. Who you are when you’re with me. That’s the Barrett I want. That’s the Barrett I?—”
I didn’t let him get the words out before I kissed him. If he said them, I’d crumble. I’d be screwed, so I kissed him to avoid him saying words I wasn’t ready to hear.
It didn’t last long before I pulled back and dropped my forehead on his. “Aren’t you supposed to work today?” I’d seen Reghan with Jordan every day of the week, night and day, over the years. I wondered if he ever slept. Yet here he was for the second day in a row.
“Ollie’s there and Rory. Vail’s home and so is Hartley. There’s plenty of backup. Raiden had the night shift so he’s sleeping.”
“And you couldn’t wait to see me again?” I teased. “It’s my ass, isn’t it? I always thought it was a work of art. Now I know it’s true.”
He shook his head as a smile teased his lips. “I had photos to show you last night but when I got here and Marshall wasn’t feeling well, I forgot. Jordan asked me about it this morning.” It must have been serious if it involved Jordan.
“What are they?”
“The guy who’s been taking men.”
“Show me.”
Reghan put his arm fully around me a second before he stood, taking me with him.
My legs instinctively went to his waist to hold myself up. “What are you doing?” I yelped.
“I need my phone. Since I don’t want to let you go, you’re coming with me.” He found where he put his belongings down and scooped up his phone then brought us over to the couch, taking a seat again. “This is more comfortable.”
I wasn’t about to complain. Instead, I tucked my face against his neck and breathed him in. He was about to show me photos that would have me in work mode. For a few beats of my heart, I soaked him in and enjoyed being close to him. I wouldn’t admit it out loud, but I missed him last night and wished he would have stayed.
Reghan didn’t push me to look at what he had on his phone. He put it down on the arm of the couch and fully engulfed me in his arms, warmth, and scent. I’d never been a cuddler before, yet here I was holding on to Reghan like a damn koala.
With him, I was safe.
I was cared for.
I was…
No, I wasn’t going there, even though it felt damn near close to what I was thinking.
I wasn’t sure how long we stayed like that. After a bit, Reghan moved so we were lying on the couch together, me over him, my face still tucked against his neck. His hands soothed along my back, under my shirt, his skin on mine. It didn’t turn me on. Rather, it had me melting against him. I was boneless.
We couldn’t stay like this forever though.
“What does the photo show?” I asked, not ready for him to let me go.
“The back of a guy in jeans and a hooded sweatshirt. He has sneakers on and is average in build. There’s nothing remarkable about him.”
“Jordan’s certain it’s him?”
“They were taken at the site of the last kidnapping.”
“Okay. I’ll look in a minute.”
“How about an hour?”
“When are you due back?” I asked. How long could I stay like this before he had to leave? God, I wasn’t just a cuddler. I was a clinger. Before Reghan could answer, I asked, “Is this too much for you?”
“What?”
“Me being on you, holding you without any intention of letting go?”
He chuckled. “Not at all. I wouldn’t mind it if you held on tighter.”
So, I did. For an hour and fifteen minutes when Reghan’s phone rang, and he had to go back to work. He showed me the picture and said he’d return tonight, if he could. What did it say about me that I really hoped he was bored as fuck and Jordan didn’t need him? I shouldn’t need him either. Although, I couldn’t stop myself from wishing he’d be in my bed later.