The Prince's Narc

Chapter 10

The pain that lanced through Jud took his breath away. He knew he wasn't in his house or his bed the second his mind started working.

Everything came roaring back to him, especially the events after the raid. He couldn't believe he let his guard down and had gotten shot. He should have known once they took that guy away that he would have someone waiting in the wings. He should have known it was a sniper. He should have had a contingency plan.

He blinked several times, and the ceiling came into focus. No, that wasn't all. He shouldn't have let Luke take his mind off his job. Once the Prince of the Baymont Kings walked out of his club, he had let his mind wander. Luke always made his mind wander despite his desperation to maintain an air of decorum. Whenever he was around, he didn't want to do anything other than be with him. That had nearly cost him his life.

The room was dim, illuminating the ceiling gently. He figured he was in Luke's room at the Kings' main house. He couldn't be sure, but the smell was definitely his.

He had to go to the bathroom. Sitting up, Jud found out how much pain he was in when he couldn't get up. He grabbed the comforter and gritted his teeth as he pulled himself to his feet. Tears stung his eyes, but it was only momentary compared to the pains in his bladder and kidneys.

He stared at himself in the mirror as he relieved himself. He could see how pallid his normally bronze skin was. There was a stark white bandage under his right arm. It wasn't super huge, but it was a contrast to his body.

He turned towards the sink and washed his hands. He grabbed a wash rag, tossing it in the warm water to soak for a minute. He looked at himself in the mirror, noticing his five o'clock shadow. He didn't usually let it go for so long. He wanted to shave, but he could barely stand right now. So he washed his face with the wash rag then dried it before going back to the bed. He was tired already just standing.

He nearly collapsed back in the bed. He hadn't even adjusted the blankets well-enough before the door was opening. He knew that tired face well as its body carried something in the other hand.

Luke looked just as haggard as he did, but Jud knew he carried more suffering than the man who had been shot did. He had seen the shooting, and he had tried to keep his team away from him despite knowing they could help him. The look on his face was one Jud would never forget. He'd looked lost and so much younger than his thirty years. He'd looked as if he was about to lose the most important thing in his life.

The younger man turned toward the bed, relief washing over his face. He set the tray down on the dresser and came to the bed. Jud held out his left arm, and Luke sank into it. He was cautious of the other side of his body as he wrapped his arms around him. Luke tucked his face into his neck and let out a shaky breath. He had been worried, and now that was fading away.

Jud stroked his head slowly, feeling the warm tears hit his skin. He had never had someone care for him enough to cry for him. Yes, his exes had been concerned when he'd gone on deployments, but they had never been around when he had been injured. Luke was the first one, and seeing his reaction hurt Jud to the soul.

"Asshole," Luke muttered. Jud's hand faltered momentarily, but he continued his gentle stroke. "You could have been killed."

He lifted his head and stared at him with blue eyes brimming with tears. "You should have told me."

"There wasn't time. I found out about the two raids at the same time. The first one wasn't even my team. The second one we had to plan within twelve hours of knowing. I could not call you," Jud said. He brought his hand up and held Luke's face, thumb stroking across his cheek. "Luke, I didn't know what I was walking into."