Evans, Gabrielle - Reckoning [Fatefully Yours 9] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever ManLove) by Gabrielle Evans Page A

It’s worse when I know it’s my fault that it’s happening. I just don’t know how it’s my fault.”
    Kissing along the hopping vein in Hex’s neck, Echo sighed. “It’s not your fault. Ares is bat-shit crazy. If you leave us, who’s to say he’ll leave us alone? Would you really leave us undefended?” Echo knew he was fighting dirty, but he didn’t feel guilty. He’d do whatever it took to keep Hex with them.
    “You know I won’t. I’m sorry I even entertained the idea. We’re in this together.”
    “See how much easier life is when you just agree with me?” He sat up and flicked his tongue over Hex’s lips. “Please get some rest. You look like death, sweetheart.”
    “Come with me.”
    “You know we’ll never sleep if I do that.” Not that he was complaining. The fact that his men couldn’t get enough of him was a powerful ego boost.
    “Yes, we will,” Hex argued. “I’m wiped. My head is pounding. I just want to curl around you and sleep.”
    Thinking it over for a second, Echo finally nodded and crawled out of Hex’s lap. “Let me help you with your headache, and it’s a deal.”
    “Please,” Hex practically whimpered.
    Standing behind his lover, Echo pressed his fingertips to Hex’s temples and closed his eyes. “I really wish you’d tell me before it gets this bad. It doesn’t make you weak to ask for help.”
    He absorbed a little of Hex’s healing powers, recycled it, and pushed it back into his mate. Within seconds, Hex’s posture became more relaxed, and his head dropped back on his shoulders to look up at Echo. “Thank you, baby.”
    Echo gave him a quick upside down kiss and stroked his hair. “Take a shower and get in bed. I’ll be up in just a minute.”
    “Deal. Bring Myst.”
    Echo winked over his shoulder as he walked out of the kitchen. “Where do you think I’m going?”

    * * * *
     
    Breathing a sigh of relief as Echo and Myst left the office, Eyce waited to make sure they were out of earshot before speaking. “It’s not that I don’t want them here, but they’re both kind of blabbermouths. I don’t think Hex needs to know everything just yet. That man has more stress on him than the rest of us combined.”
    Murmurs of agreement went around the room. Syx hovered near his board, staring at it as though it held the secrets of life. In a way, Eyce supposed it did. There were far more questions on the white expanse than answers, but it was a starting point. He had to admit that having something physical to look at helped keep them focused during these little meetings. That’s why he was a bit surprised when Syx used his arm to erase everything written on the board.
    “Uh, Syx?”
    Syx didn’t even look at him. He picked up a black dry-erase marker from the desk before he turned to face them. “We’re starting over. We’ll list what we need to know now, what we need to find out soon, and what is only important in the peripheral.”
    “So, we’re going to prioritize.” Eyce bobbed his head. “Where do you want to start?”
    “The least important.”
    “Echo’s parentage,” Vapre spoke up. “I don’t think that’s of dire importance to why Ares wants Hex.”
    Syx wrote the question on the top right hand corner of the marker board. “What else?”
    “Echo’s ex-lover,” Onyx added. “I’m sure he’s connected, but I don’t believe the how is important.”
    After a half hour of back and forth, the board was once again filled with Syx’s neat handwriting. They still agreed that the most important thing was to find out what part Hex would play in the final showdown. If they learned a few answers along the way—score one for them.
    Syx sighed and scrubbed at his face. “I’m going to have to help him remember. I really don’t want to do this.”
    “The more we know, the better prepared we are,” Fiero reminded him. “Yeah, it sucks, and he’s probably not going to like it. What can we do, though? Just sit around and wait for Ares