Take Two Read online

  I guess this is what they call an epiphany, she thought dully. I was too stupid to see love even when it was right under my nose and now I’m losing them. Losing them both.

  So what are you going to do about it? Sadie shook her head and looked around. Blakely was still passed out in the med-chair and Holt, looking weaker by the minute, was slumped beside him, still holding his hand. Do about it? What could she do about it? You can stop feeling sorry for yourself for one thing. If you just stand here having a pity party you’ll lose them for sure. Sadie shook herself. Right. Standing there and crying wasn’t helping the situation at all. She felt an icy blanket of calm descend over her nerves, the one that came over her when she felt truly threatened. Only this time it was her men that were in danger—she could feel them slipping away through her bond with them, could feel them growing weaker by the minute. That’s right—my men, she told herself. Now how am I going to save them, heal them? Wait a minute…

  Something nagged at the back of her brain. Images of herself pinned between the two of them being loved, supported, healed…but it was always Blakely and Holt that did the healing. Could the bond she had with them work the other way, too? Only one way to find out!

  “Holt!” she said sharply. The blond man looked up at her, his sapphire eyes dull with pain and loss.

  “He’s going, Sadie. Blake’s leaving me; I can feel it.”

  “He’s not going anywhere,” Sadie said grimly. “And neither are you. Come on—get on your feet and give me a hand.”

  Holt looked at her with glassy eyes, but did as she commanded, stumbling to his feet clumsily. He looked, Sadie thought, like she had felt a few minutes ago—so full of grief and loss that it was clouding his mind—making it impossible to think straight. Sadie thought it was entirely possible that even if the T-link hadn’t been pulling him down, Holt would have died of grief when Blakely did. They were that close.

  “Holt,” she said again, sharply. “Holt, I need you to snap out of it and listen to me. I think I know a way to bring him back—to save him.”

  “But Van Heusen said there’s no known cure,” Holt protested. “What the hell do you think you’re going to do, Sadie?”

  She was glad to see some of the spark come back into the sapphire blue eyes and hear a little of the old, contrary Holt in his voice. Blakely was in bad shape, but his blond partner was more weak with grief than anything else, she was sure.

  “Don’t ask questions. Just help me undress him and get him to the bed. Where’s the bedroom around here?”

  “There’s a king size bed through here,” Holt motioned numbly and they hoisted Blakely between them, being careful not to touch the pulsing arm. Sadie noticed with apprehension that the red streaks that had started at his wrist had now marched halfway up his arm to encircle his bicep. If it reaches his heart he’s gone, she thought, knowing it was true. Haven’t got much time.

  At last they had Blakely lying on the bed completely nude. There was a troubled expression on his face and Sadie thought that, except for the mat of crisp, dark curls covering his powerful chest, he looked like a tired, ill-used little boy having a bad dream.

  “Now what?” Holt was panting, having done most of the lifting and carrying although Sadie had helped as much as she could. He no longer looked shell-shocked, however, for which she was relieved. The cool, light-blue eyes were alert and he was standing up straight.

  “Now we heal him. Take off you clothes—all of them,” Sadie said, beginning to strip herself. The red marks on Blakely’s arm had advanced again, this time to his shoulder and she didn’t like the look of them at all. He was beginning to moan and the dark fans of his eyelashes were fluttering against the high, dark cheekbones. She remembered what Van Heusen had said about dying in terrible agony. They had to stop and reverse this process before the pain took over so completely that Blakely was unable to feel any pleasure. The pleasure was what would save Blakely and save them all.

  “Heal him? What are you talking about?” Holt was protesting, but at least he was taking off his clothes, although considerably slower than Sadie would have liked.

  “You and Blakely healed me, Holt. Three times. Once you brought me back from the brink of death, brought me back from where Blake is now.” Sadie peeled out of her bra and panties with no shame whatsoever as she talked.

  “But that was us healing you. Using the T-link to generate energy. I don’t think…”

  “You have a better idea?” Sadie snapped. She turned on Holt who was still fumbling with the snap on his suit pants while he talked. “Damn it, Holt, we have to try something. We have to fight for Blakely—we love him. I love him, love you both, and I’m not letting either one of you go without a fight. Now hurry up and strip!”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Holt muttered, speeding up his undressing process considerably and Sadie thought she saw a slight grin hovering around the corners of his full lips. Good, Holt believed they could do it. She was sure. “Now what?” he asked when he was completely nude, his long, golden body tense and waiting.

  Sadie thought about it, thought of the way he and Blakely had always healed her. “Get behind him, support him on your lap,” she directed. Without hesitation, Holt did as he was told, sliding behind his partner and cradling the darker man in his arms tenderly. Blakely moaned, his eyelashes fluttering halfway open.

  “It’s okay, buddy,” Sadie heard Holt murmur soothingly. “Everything’s going to be okay.”

  “Wha…” Blakely’s voice was slurred and indistinct, but at least he was regaining consciousness.

  Now! Sadie understood instinctively that she had to move fast, while Blakely was still on the edge between sleep and wakefulness, before the pain Van Heusen had predicted set in.

  She climbed onto the bed between Blakely’s legs on her hands and knees, feeling the brush of his coarse chest hair against her tender nipples as she pressed tight against him, putting him between herself and Holt. Blakely’s dark head was leaned back against his partner’s golden shoulder and Holt was leaning down, whispering encouragement into his ear. For just a moment, Sadie was transfixed by the sight of pure, masculine beauty, the dark and light heads close together while Holt’s long, muscular arms encircled his partner’s broad shoulders. Then she dipped her head and took Blakely’s narrow, sensual mouth with her own in a heated but gentle kiss.

  “Blake,” she breathed against his mouth. “Come back to us. We need you—we love you.”

  She pulled back the tiniest bit to see the indigo eyes come all the way open. There was pain in their depths, but need and love as well. She knew Blakely understood her, and, like a tiny, flickering spark in the pit of her stomach, she felt the beginnings of the warm, golden energy that flowed between them when they all touched. It’s going to work! I know it!

  She bent her head again, rubbing herself wantonly against Blakely’s naked chest, feeling her nipples stand to attention at the rough, delicious friction of her tender nubs against his curls. This time she put more into the kiss, parting Blakely’s lips to slip her tongue between his white, even teeth, tasting him, letting him know how much he was wanted, was needed. The energy surged, but weakly, too weakly she was afraid. When she pulled back this time Blakely was completely with them but the pain in his indigo eyes had grown along with his awareness.

  “I love you too, kid,” he managed to say. “Sorry…just hurts so much.” Looking at his arm, Sadie saw that the evil red lines had advanced to his collar bone and were reaching for his neck.

  “Oh, Blake,” she whispered, feeling the start of tears in her eyes and pushing them ruthlessly down. She loved this man and she refused to give up without a fight.

  More, need more somehow… Then more it would be.

  “We’re slowing it down but not stopping it.” Holt’s voice was strained as he stroked along the side of his partner’s neck.

  More, Sadie thought. She kissed Blakely again and then leaned upward to kiss Holt, pressing her full, naked breasts against the rough scratch