Chapter 60

A few minutes later, he’d just filled their glasses with milk when Donovan returned, this time dressed in jeans and a plain white T-shirt. Moisture glistened in his hair and dampened the material over his shoulders. Still, he’d never looked sexier.

“Smells wonderful.” Donovan took a seat and started filling his plate.

TJ followed suit, wondering if he’d made enough when he’d glimpsed Donovan gulping down food as if a starved man.

He buttered his toast and took a bite. “Not bad.”

“It’s great.” Donovan smiled over at him. “I think we can turn you into a cook, yet.”

TJ snorted. “So not happening.”

Donovan’s face scrunched. “Who are you worried about the most? The hunter or Bagsby?”

A relevant question, but one that TJ didn’t really want to venture into. It always put tension on Donovan’s face and he, himself on edge. However, it was probably for the best. Donovan made for a grand distraction. A good thing except when bastards were out there ready to cut them down.

TJ shrugged. “The hunter is scarier because he’s nearly invisible. Bagsby is one determined, pissed off, psychotic bastard set out for revenge. That tells me he’s going to focus on you and throw everything including the kitchen sink to make sure you’re no longer breathing.”

Donovan nodded, took another piece of bacon, and ate it in two bites. “I figure the same.”

Worry coated his face, causing TJ’s protective instincts to flare all the more. “We’ll get through this. They don’t know what they’re up against in us.”

“TJ, we’re not immortal.”

The quiet statement tore at TJ’s heart. He forced a fierce grin. “We’re pretty damn close.”

Donovan’s lips curled up at the corners.

In truth, TJ’s gut churned with concern. He’d tossed and turned the last couple of nights, unable to truly sleep with the threat hanging over both their heads. Yet, he couldn’t keep his hands off of Donovan. Those moments gave him hope, faith, and a remembrance of what he’d been missing and was presently fighting for. What he had with Donovan was wonderful. Perfect. Too damn special to lose. So, he’d enjoy their time together any chance he could, then become a territorial grizzly with a bad attitude all the rest of the time. Because no one was going to harm Donovan under his watch. Not even if he had to maul people to death in order to protect the man he loved.

Together they cleaned up the kitchen. Dishwasher loaded, TJ washed his hands before checking the time. “We need to get going. I’d like to get to the office early and finish the leftover paperwork. That way as soon as I see the last patient, we can head on out.”

“Four hours.” Donovan pursed his lips. “What am I going to do for four hours?” He was off work today. Since TJ wasn’t letting him out of his sight, he was going to hang out at the office until TJ was done. His eyes lit up.

TJ shook his head. “You will not.”

Donovan grinned saucily. “Will not what?”

TJ wagged his finger at him. “You will not tempt, tease, or distract me. It’s hard enough to keep my head around you without you egging me on.”

“Hard head.” Donovan’s lips twitched.

TJ rolled his eyes. “You are incorrigible.”

“Yep.” Unrepentantly.

“If you’re ready, hotshot, let’s get going.” TJ slipped on his shoes, unlocked the front door, and stepped out. A quick check and sniff told him nothing was about.

He waited for Donovan, then shut and locked it back. “We—”

A loud gunshot tore through the quiet of the morning. Another followed right on its heels.

“Get down.” TJ threw himself in front of Donovan, shoving him up against the house and out of the line of fire.

The smell of blood burned his nostrils. “Where are you hit?” He stared at Donovan’s face, ascertaining his state of distress.

Donovan blinked back. “I’m not.”

“The hell you aren’t.” TJ raked him with his gaze. He locked onto a small trickle of blood coming from Donovan’s upper arm, just below the sleeve. He lifted the arm, inspected it closer, and finally managed to breathe. “A crease. Are you hit anywhere else?”

“No.” Donovan’s face morphed into a mask of fury. “But I’m going to kill the bastard myself.”

“You’ll have to get in line.” TJ didn’t pause to think. Instead, his raging grizzly took over, shifting in the blink of an eye. Clothes ripped and fell away as he surged in the direction the shots came from. Sure, he was making a target of himself, but that really didn’t register at the time. Not when his beast was in ballistic attack mode.