“How long have you been here?” I asked quietly. I slid my hand over his shoulder, savoring the opportunity I’d just been handed to nestle more closely to him.

“Since shortly after you left the hospital,” he said. His voice rumbled in his chest. “Why did you leave?”

I gave a little shrug. “I didn’t belong. Don’t belong.”

Blane’s hand stilled, then moved to my chin, turning my face up to his.

“You belong with me.”

The absolute certainty in his voice made my insides warm. I opened my mouth to reply but didn’t get the chance.

Blane started kissing me, his tongue stroking mine. There was no urgency in his kiss, it was languid and sweet, as though nothing had broken between us. And just when my thoughts caught up with my actions and I was about to pull away, he did.

I stared at him in confusion, but he just smiled and brushed the hair back from my face.

“What are you doing?” I managed.

“Kissing you,” he said simply.

I was utterly confused. I’d told Blane I was in love with his brother. He should be yelling at me, looking at me in loathing and disgust, not holding me, gazing at me as if I were the most precious thing in the world.

“Why?” I asked.

“Because I wanted to.”

I couldn’t think what to say, still bemused by his actions.

“I’m not giving you up without a fight, Kat,” he said. “Until you make your choice, I’m not going anywhere.”

My eyebrows flew up at that and I scrambled off him and out of the bed. “Choice?” I asked as he sat up. “What do you mean, ‘your choice’?”

“Me or Kade,” Blane answered, looking at me as though this were obvious.

I was already shaking my head. “No, I’m not doing that.” I backed up rapidly, hit the wall, turned, and hurried into the kitchen. Blane was right behind me.

“What do you mean?” he asked, latching onto my wrist and pulling me to a stop.

“I’m not doing that!” I exclaimed, horrified at the thought. “You make it sound like I’m picking which pair of shoes to wear or what movie I should go see. You and Kade are brothers. I am not choosing one of you.” Though the thought had occurred to me just hours ago, hearing Blane spell it out made me cringe in mortification.

Blane’s expression was unreadable as he stared at me. He let go of my wrist, pushing his hands into the pockets of his slacks as he leaned back against the wall.

“You have to,” he said with a shrug.

“Forget it,” I shot back. My mind was already playing the scenario in my head, me choosing a brother, forever alienating the one who remained. The one I chose resenting me for coming between them. Losing them both from my life, forever.

“I’m not . . . I can’t . . .” Suddenly, it was hard to breathe, anxiety swelling in my chest.

Blane was next to me in an instant, his hands wrapped around my arms to hold me steady. Worry and concern now creased his features.

My voice was a choked whisper. “I can’t . . . lose . . . both of you. I just . . . I can’t.” I shook my head, trying to dislodge the images in my mind. I stared up at him, willing him to understand.

It was the best I could do to explain it, the terror and despair that loomed at the mere thought of Kade and Blane no longer being in my life. I’d be alone, having lost the men I loved—the men who’d come to be my whole world. What I’d felt when Blane and I had split up four months ago would be a mere shadow compared to the agony I’d feel now if I lost them.

“What do you think is going to happen, Kat?” Blane asked with a frown. “It’s not like we can share you.” He seemed genuinely confused.

“I know it’s not fair,” I admitted, “but I’m not going to be what breaks you and Kade. Not now. Not after all that’s happened. We can be . . . friends.” A laughable goal, but it was all I could come up with.

“Do you need more time?” Blane asked, completely ignoring my friends comment. “Of course. It’s too soon. Kade’s still recovering and you’ve been pushed to the edge of your endurance.” He looked vaguely relieved, brushing the back of his knuckles down my cheek. The sweet touch made me ache inside.

Time. That sounded good. I latched onto that. “Yeah. I just need . . . some time.” I ignored that it’d be borrowed time. I was sure it wouldn’t take long before they’d tire of waiting for me to make a choice that my conscience wouldn’t allow me to make.

Blane studied me intently, as though seeing through my pathetic desperation. “You should know I won’t just walk away, Kat. And I know my brother. Neither will he.”

I swallowed, my stomach clenching into a hard knot. I didn’t believe him, not really. Eventually I’d lose them both, and all I wanted right now was to put that moment off for as long as possible. It made me incredibly selfish, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself. Holding on to Blane and Kade felt like an act of self-preservation.

“Are you going back?” I asked, anxious to change the subject. “To the hospital?”

“Yes.”

I eased out of Blane’s hold and he let me step away. “Tell him . . . tell him I said hi, would you?”

“You’re not coming?”

“I have to go to work,” I explained, glancing at the clock. I had to get moving if I wanted to shower first. “Did you turn on the air-conditioning?”

“Yes,” Blane said, snagging me around the waist as I made to pass by. I looked up at him in surprise. “Don’t turn it off,” he ordered. “I’ll pay the fucking bill. Just leave it on.”

“I can’t—”

“Leave it,” he ordered again, interrupting me. He seemed pretty adamant about this, and considering the conversation we’d just had, I wasn’t anxious to test his patience further. I nodded.

“Okay.”

Before I could say anything more, Blane had me pressed against the wall, his body hard against mine, his mouth pressing my lips apart. I sucked in a breath, my pulse kicking into high gear as Blane proceeded to remind me of just how well he did this sort of thing.

It was several minutes before we came up for air and I found my fingers pressing hard into Blane’s shoulders.

“Sooner or later, you’ll choose,” he whispered. “You’ll want one of us more than you don’t want to hurt the other. And you’ll choose. I want to be the one you can’t live without.”

I stared up into his eyes, a brilliant green boring into mine. Then he was out the door and gone, leaving me trying to figure out what the hell had just happened.

* * *

Work was slow, which made it hard to stay awake. Even my nap today hadn’t been enough to curb how tired I was. I ate a little, not really having a choice when Jeff set a plate down in front of me and glared until I took a bite. Nothing seemed to taste good. I chalked it up to too much stress.

“What’s up with you?” Tish asked, leaning against the bar and watching me dry glasses.

“Just tired. Stressed,” I replied.

“Boyfriend trouble?” She grinned. “Please tell me you took tall, dark, and dangerous for a spin.”

I gave a small laugh even as my face heated. Her description of Kade was apt.

“Good for you,” she said, easily reading my embarrassment.

I shook my head. “No. Everything’s just . . . completely complicated now.”

“Sex has a way of doing that,” she commiserated. “You seeing him tonight?”

I hadn’t told her that Kade had been shot, so I explained what had happened. When I finished, her eyes were wide.

“He took a bullet for Blane?” she asked. I nodded. “And now Blane wants you to choose, him or Kade?” I nodded again.

She rolled her eyes, unsuccessfully trying to hide a grin. “Girl, to have such problems. I’m finding it real hard to be sympathetic.”

I smacked her lightly on the arm even as I laughed. “This is serious,” I said. “I have no idea what to do. I told Blane I wasn’t going to choose, that we could, you know, all be friends.” It still sounded ridiculous and Tish must’ve agreed, because she gave a snort of derision.

“What’d he say?” she asked.

“He kissed me.”

She whistled. “Gotta like his style, girl.”

“You are absolutely no help whatsoever,” I complained.

Tish spotted new customers walking in and pushed away from the bar. “I know,” she said, “but if you need pointers on a threesome, you just let me know.” She winked.

“Tish!” I exclaimed, but she was already sashaying toward the new table.

I rolled my eyes, sliding the now clean and dry martini glasses into the freezer before turning away to fill another order.

I was the last one to leave after we’d closed, though Jeff had hung around until it was time to go. Since I’d been attacked by James Gage, the district attorney for Indy, a couple of weeks ago, Romeo had insisted that there always had to be at least two people to finish up after closing.

Once I was in my car, I sat for a moment, thinking. I was exhausted, but I wanted to see Kade. I didn’t know how many times it would take of seeing him awake and talking before the worry eased in the back of my mind, I just knew I wasn’t there yet.

Twenty minutes later, I was parking in the hospital lot and heading inside. Visiting hours were long since over, but I managed not to run into any staff on my way to Kade’s room. The hallways were dim and I stepped as lightly as I could. When I reached Kade’s door, I paused and peeked through the window.

It was dark inside and I knew he was probably sleeping. I’d just pop in for a minute, then leave.

Carefully easing open the door, I slipped into the room. The door drifted closed behind me and I waited, letting my eyes adjust to the darkness. After a moment, I stepped farther inside, listening intently.

I could hear machines, their quiet whirring as they monitored Kade’s vitals and dripped fluid into his arm. My eyes had adjusted and now I could see the outline of his form on the bed. Without even noticing I’d moved, I realized I stood beside him. I watched carefully as his chest rose and fell with even, deep breaths.

My whole body relaxed. My fingers itched to touch him, but I curled my hands into fists so I wouldn’t. What if he hadn’t made it? What would I have done then? I couldn’t think about it. I’d drive myself crazy.

I had to touch some part of him, so I settled for resting my palm near where his hand lay on top of the covers. If I tried hard enough, it seemed I could feel the heat from his body through my skin.

“About fucking time.”

I started violently at the sound of his voice, jerking my hand away. “I . . . I didn’t realize you were awake,” I managed to stammer. My face flushed and I was glad the room was dark.

“So I gathered.”

The dry note in his voice made my lips hover in a smile, but I was inexplicably nervous and embarrassed that Kade had caught me unawares.

“I, um, didn’t mean to disturb you,” I said weakly. “I was just on my way home from work.”

“You live in the opposite direction.”

I pressed my lips together and didn’t speak. I didn’t have to. We both knew why I was there.

Kade reached for me, his hand catching hold of my elbow and tugging. I obeyed the silent demand, slipping off my shoes before climbing into bed beside him. His arm wrapped around my shoulders as I nestled into his side.

“How are you feeling?” I asked.

“Confined.”

I smiled. Yes, Kade would feel that way.

“Are you being nice to the nurses?” I asked.

“One of them tried to give me a sponge bath,” he replied.

I could imagine the fight it had been to determine who got the honor of giving Kade a sponge bath. “Was she pretty?” I asked, hearing the bitchy in my voice too late.

I felt more than heard Kade’s huff of laughter. “Is that jealousy I hear?” he teased.

I didn’t answer, instead burying my burning face into his side, which just made him laugh again.

“Would you still be pissed if I said she was ugly?”

“Who said I was pissed?” I protested.

“I love your jealous, bitchy side,” Kade whispered in my ear. The touch of his breath against my skin made me shiver. His hand drifted down to my waist, his fingers tugging my shirt free until he could touch my skin. “Blane said we’re all supposed to be friends now, that supposedly you’re not going to pick a side.” I could hear the amusement in his voice.

I stiffened, wondering what exactly from our conversation Blane had repeated to Kade.

“Need I remind you of what a bad idea the friend zone is for us?” he continued. His fingers trailed a feather-light path along my side and up my rib cage.