Where We Left Off - Romeo Alexander Page 0,37

still talking to the last of the officers, his dark brow pinched in worry and what Tyler suspected was deep thought.

He’d already texted both Clay and Elliot, telling them briefly what happened. And despite having assured them that he was fine and that no one had been seriously hurt, he’d had to call them to make sure they didn’t come barreling across the city to him. The last thing they needed was to add Clay and Elliot to the mix of the police investigation.

A finger tapped his shoulder, bringing his head up. A police officer, tall and blond, was peering down at him.

“Ah, sorry. Did you need something, officer?” Tyler asked him, summoning a tired smile.

“Not at the moment, though if we need to get in touch with you we’ll be sure to give you a ring. I was just coming to tell you that we were finishing up here and the two of you are free to go.”

“Thank you. I hope you guys get to the bottom of this,” Tyler said.

The officer nodded grimly. “I hope we can too. In the meantime, I advise that you and Mr. Carter play it safe while in the city.”

Tyler looked over to see Nate walking toward them. “I think we can manage that.”

“Good, you two take care of yourselves.”

“Thank you, officer.”

When Nate reached him, he slumped down onto the bench beside him, giving a hefty sigh as he did so. Tyler looked at him, unable to help himself from examining the man to make sure he wasn’t hurt.

Nate glanced sidelong at him, smiling gently. “I am in one piece, Tyler.”

“I’m just making sure,” Tyler said without a trace of embarrassment.

Nate snorted softly. “You were the one who was injured.”

Tyler held up his injured arm, a bandage wrapped around his forearm. “Oh, it was a scratch.”

“You nearly required stitches,” Nate pointed out.

“Nearly. That’s the keyword. I didn’t actually need them.”

“And the bruising?”

“Eh, my leg is fine. I can still walk on it and without limping.”

“You got into a brawl with two armed men, and you’re worried about me?”

Tyler eyed him. “They were after you. So yeah, I’m worried about you.”

Nate sighed. “That’s what bothers me the most about all this. They were after me, but you were the one who ended up getting hurt.”

Tyler snorted. “Barely.”

“Tyler.”

“Nate.”

They stared at one another, each trying to best the other in their impromptu staring contest. It was Nate who finally looked away, sighing heavily.

“Where did you learn to defend yourself like that anyway?” Nate asked softly.

Tyler beamed. “From Clay and Elliot. They’ve been teaching me stuff for years, but that’s the first time I’ve ever had to use it. Never even thought about what I was doing. I just...did it. I guess all those times they told me they were drilling instinct into me over thought makes a lot more sense now.”

“It still begs so many questions about who those two men are,” Nate said.

Tyler frowned. “Well, obviously, they wanted to take you. And they weren’t part of your father’s security force.”

Nate laughed softly, gazing down into his lap. “I wasn’t referring to them. I meant Clay and Elliot.”

Tyler shrugged. “They’re Clay and Elliot, that’s all there is to it.”

“You always were so good at simplifying matters that I found less than simple,” Nate mused.

Tyler could only shrug again. What did he care what Clay and Elliot were before he’d met them? Sure, he’d always been incredibly curious, more so about Clay than Elliot, because he was the most secretive of the two. But at the end of the day, they were who they were, and they were two men who loved each other fiercely and loved him with the same intensity.

“Clay and Elliot might be a mystery, but they’re not a dangerous mystery,” Tyler pointed out. “I know where they stand and what they’re about. What I don’t know is why two men showed up at the hotel room we were sharing and tried to take you.”

Nate slumped back on the bench, sighing. “As far as the police can tell, they were attempting to kidnap me.”

“Yeah, I gathered that much. I’m more worried about why,” Tyler said.

Nate waved a hand in front of him listlessly. “I suppose my father might have had a point about the re-election coming up. I thought he was using the additional security as an opportunity to try and keep a closer eye on me. But perhaps he had a point, and everyone directly related to him is in danger.”

Tyler raised a