Marco’s warning rang in his head again and again as he sped up the busy streets, barely restraining himself from running a red light every now and then. But once he arrived at his destination point, he heaved a sigh of relief.
He didn’t have to go down to the underground lot—his black pickup was parked outside. Dave had simply wanted to go home and be alone for a while.
The large vehicle dwarfed Chad’s own truck as he parked next to it and jumped out of the car. Reminding himself that he shouldn’t raise suspicion, he kept his feet from breaking into a run as he entered the building, smiled at the concierge, and reached the elevators.
His heart kept thundering as he watched the glowing numbers in the elevator, and Chad reminded himself that Dave was all right, probably asleep in his bed.
With a deep breath, he exited the elevator. His fingers danced over the electronic lock, the code imprinted in his memory, and finally, the door clicked open.
“Dave?” Chad called, coming in.
He stopped in his tracks. The place was trashed.
He closed the door behind him, but his eyes were on the scattered furniture and smashed glass that covered the floor of the large living room. It looked like a tornado had ravaged here, sucking in every item from every cabinet, shelf, and table, before it smashed them to pieces and spat them back out.
And then there were bottles, at least half a dozen discarded on top of the mangled remains of the designer furniture.
“D-dave?” His voice shaking, he made his way through the chaos and turned right, to the bedroom.
Dave was there.
Chad let out a relieved sigh. He sprinted across the room, not caring what he stepped on, his eyes on Dave’s unmoving form.
“Dave, wake up!”
The relief that had warmed Chad’s heart just a second ago turned into shock when he grabbed Dave’s shoulder and rolled him over onto his back. He looked dead.
“No-no-no…” Chad pressed his fingers to Dave’s neck. There was a pulse, but his gray face and the dark circles around his eyes turned Chad’s blood cold. “No way, you’re not going out like this,” he growled, hauling Dave off the bed and to the bathroom.
Dave didn’t even stir as Chad dragged him to the big bathtub and swung his head over the edge, face down. He ran the cold water and grabbed the showerhead, pointing it at Dave’s nape.
“Come on, wake up!”
Seconds stretched on, painfully slow, as Dave hung from his hand unmoving, his black hair soaked and his skin even paler than before.
Chad swore and pointed the showerhead at Dave’s face for a second, praying for it to work.
It did.
Dave jerked away, coughing. Thank God.
“I’m gonna kill you!” Chad hissed. “Just let me finish saving you first, you fool!”
Dave tried to free himself from Chad’s grasp, but he didn’t have a chance. Chad was already pulling him to the toilet.
“You’re gonna toss all that liquor you’ve drunk, and don’t think that I won’t shove my fingers down your throat if you don’t do it yourself.”
Dave didn’t need another reminder. His body heaved, and for a few long minutes, Chad just held him tight and thanked the heavens he’d gotten there in time.
When it was over, he let Dave go and sat on the cold tile floor a few feet away. His panic receded, leaving exhaustion in its place. Dave fell against the wall and met his gaze. Anger. Of all the things Chad expected to see in his eyes, anger wasn’t one.
“What are you doing here?” Dave mumbled, too weak to speak properly.
“What am I doing here?” Chad stared at him. “You just tried to kill yourself, you don’t get to ask me that!”
“I wasn’t trying to…” Dave trailed off, pressing a hand to his wet face. “I just wanted to forget.” His voice was barely a whisper, but Chad heard him.
“I don’t care,” Chad spoke through his teeth. “I don’t care what you were trying to do. You nearly died, Dave. I’m taking you to Doc, now. Get up.”
He stood, but Dave didn’t try to move.
“No,” he said after a moment.
“No?”
“No,” Dave repeated. He got up, only to stagger past Chad and into the bedroom. “I’m not going back there. It’s all too much.”
Chad’s temper flared, heating him from the inside. He grabbed Dave’s shoulder.
“I wasn’t asking for your permission. I said I’m taking you home.”
Dave shook him off, and when Chad grabbed his arm, Dave whirled at him.
“And I said I’m not going!”
Chad yanked him forward—and Dave pushed back.
Chad’s vision blurred as he hurtled through the air, his breath knocked out of him. He hit the wall, the couch, and finally, the floor, the shield keeping him from breaking his bones. Oh, you didn’t…
Whatever shred of care had held him back a second ago was now gone. He was on his feet and upon Dave in a flash.
Dave’s back slammed into the wall, his reaction too slow. He sucked in a breath, but Chad’s fist was already flying toward Dave’s solar plexus. Dave doubled over, unable to draw breath.
“You are coming with me, whether you want to or not,” Chad said, a finger pointed at Dave’s face as he laid him down on the floor. “Now, hold still, I gotta make a call.”
Dave glowered at him, face red as he gasped for air. Chad straightened up and took out his phone, then paused.
