Chapter 4

Julian kept pressing down,and the blood spread across the gauze.

Reaper gritted his teeth."Your father supported the orphanage where I grew up.I owe him my life."

"Which orphanage?"

"St.Mary's Orphanage."

He,Patrick,and the original Reaper had all lived at that orphanage.

The original Reaper had been adopted at six and hadn't left behind a single photo.

He and the original Reaper were about the same age.As long as the real one never showed up,the fake was safe.

"Your father's gone.Protecting you is how I repay him."

Before he had finished,Julian released the wound and wiped away the blood with a tissue.

He hadn't answered the second question.Why didn't Julian ask?

While Reaper puzzled over it,Julian took a file from the nightstand and slapped it against his chest.

It was Reaper's file.

Reaper frowned."You already looked into me.Why ask?"

"A file can be forged.A man can pretend to be someone else.But..."

Julian pressed one hand against his abs and reached across him with the other,peeling back a corner of the tape on the back of his right hand.

Beside the needle,against the pulse point near his wrist,lay a card the size of a SIM card.

"A miniature lie detector.If you lie,it sounds an alarm."

Reaper's gaze darkened."And then you kill me."

"But it didn't go off."

Reaper shot upright and clamped a hand around Julian's throat.

With the slightest pull,Julian fell against his chest.

Julian braced a hand on his chest and tipped his head back to look at him.

If Reaper lowered his head,their noses would touch.

The smell of blood mingled with sandalwood.

The scent was strangely familiar,and Julian felt a little dazed.

Reaper's face stayed blank."It's just you and me in here."

"If I'd wanted to,I could have snapped your neck just now.You sure you can kill me?"

Short of breath,Julian flushed.He glanced toward the IV bag.

"What if there's poison in that?"

Reaper's pupils contracted.He let go of Julian at once and reached for the needle.

Julian leaned into him,using his weight to push Reaper back onto the bed,and pinned his hand."Don't move.You'll make blood back up into the line."

With Julian pressed into his arms,Reaper couldn't bring himself to push him away.That did nothing to quell his anger.

"If you want to kill me,kill me.Why play games?"

Reaper pried his hand off,yanked out the needle,tipped his head back,and let a drop of the fluid fall into his mouth.

Salty!

"Saline!"

Reaper paused,the corners of his eyes reddening with anger."If you'd really used poison,one drop would've been enough.Why bother with a whole bag?Why play me like that?"

"It was a test!"With that,Julian laughed out loud.

Reaper turned away in irritation,hiding how much it hurt to see Julian like this.

The Julian he remembered had seemed aloof in public.In private,his eyes lit up,and when he smiled,he seemed to glow.

Now he was cold-blooded and paranoid,like a madman!

Julian pressed a cotton swab to the bleeding puncture."Without you,Conrad's bullet would've gone straight through my lung.Why would I poison you?"

"Still,even if you'd gotten me to a hospital in time,I wouldn't have survived."

Reaper ground his teeth."But if I'd failed your test,you'd still have killed me."

Julian tipped his chin up."Aren't you curious why even a hospital couldn't save me?Or...do you know something?"

Reaper froze for a beat.

Years ago,the Sterlings had taken him in because he and Julian both had Rh-negative blood.

If anything happened to Julian,Shane was there to keep him alive.His own personal blood bag.

He'd reacted far too calmly just now.A stranger shouldn't have known any of this.

Reaper feigned disdain."Shot through the lung?Who survives that?"

Julian leaned close to his ear."Because I'm Rh-negative.You and I are the only two left in New Orleans with that blood type."

A jolt ran through him.

So that was why Patrick had put the Reaper tattoo on his back five years ago and made him use the name.

So Patrick had known all along that the real Reaper was Rh-negative too!

But why would Julian say they were the only two left in all of New Orleans with Rh-negative blood?Could it be...

"Be my personal bodyguard.From today on,you don't leave my sight."

The demand cut through his thoughts.Reaper turned toward Julian's voice,and his lips brushed the corner of Julian's mouth.

Their breath warmed each other's faces.Neither pulled away.

Reaper looked at him,his expression complicated."You don't want a bodyguard.You want a blood bag."

"You can refuse."Julian pulled out a bank card and tossed it in his face."Conrad offered fifty million dollars for my life.I'll give you fifty million as a thank-you.Take it and get out."

With that,he braced his hands on the bed and shifted himself toward the wheelchair.

Reaper jumped off the bed,scooped Julian up,and gently set him in the wheelchair.

Bracing his hands on the wheelchair's armrests,Reaper handed back the card."Fifty million won't cover it,Mr.Sterling.If I'm going to keep you alive,I expect more in return."