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a curt nod before he left the room.
    Alone, Ture wasn’t sure what to make of all this. In all honesty, it scared him. People weren’t kind as a rule, and they were cruel to him in particular. That he expected.
    Even though he appeared to be safe, there was a part of him waiting for this to be some kind of sick joke. He wouldn’t put anything past an emperor who’d ascended the throne by viciously assassinating his uncle, and one whose last name was Cruel.

CHAPTER 2
     
    T ure woke up at the sound of a light knock. “Enter.”
    Dressed in brown pants and a bright green leather jacket, Maris came into the room carrying a tray in his hands. The instant he stepped inside, the lights turned on to a dim glow. He moved to set it down on the table by the bed. “I know Syn has you hooked up, but thought you might like something tasty to eat and drink.”
    Ture ground his teeth as he pushed himself up. He was still in a great deal of pain. “Thank you. How long have I slept?”
    “Two days.”
    Ture gasped. With the heavy drapes closed, he couldn’t tell if it was day or night outside. “What time is it?”
    “Early evening.”
    He couldn’t believe it. “I had no idea.”
    Maris poured him a cup of hot chocolate then added a bit of cream. “Don’t worry. Syn, Darling, Zarya and I both have been checking in from time to time to make sure you were all right.”
    Ture took the cup from his hands. “That’s actually disturbing to know all of you have been in here and I haven’t been the wiser.”
    Maris gave him a devilish grin. “Did you know that you are absolutely gorgeous when you sleep? And you have the lightest little snore. It’s actually quite adorable.”
    Heat crept over his face as those dark eyes teased him with humor. No matter how you cut it, Maris was the sexiest man he’d ever seen. There was so much magnetism to him.
    Such an intriguing blend of boyish charm and lethal predator. Most of the time, Maris was relaxed and exuberant. Yet even so, he was always searching with his gaze as if to reassure himself that no assassin had crept in. And he definitely had a warrior’s lope.
    Head down, gaze intent.
    Something Ture’s body reacted to with an embarrassing intensity. Lifting his knee slightly to disguise his interest, Ture cleared his throat. “So what food did you bring?”
    “An assortment of sandwiches. Since I didn’t know what you liked, I thought it the best compromise.” Maris pulled the silver lid from the plate and held it out to Ture.
    A shudder went through Ture as he accidentally brushed his hand against Maris’s. He refused to let Maris know how aroused he was at his mere presence. No good could come of that. “This is more than I can eat. Would you like to share?”
    Maris wrinkled his nose playfully. “Sugar, I never pass on food. My mother used to say that I came out of her starving, and practically assaulted the doctor who delivered me to get a bottle from him.”
    “Really?”
    Maris nodded as he daintily picked up one of the small sandwiches and took a bite.
    The way Maris savored the food made Ture smile. “You do know what I do for a living, don’t you?”
    “Not a clue. Zarya never told me.”
    Ture swallowed his bite. “I’m a chef.”
    He arched an intrigued brow. “Seriously?”
    Ture nodded.
    His dark eyes danced with happiness as he slid onto the bed beside Ture. “Ooo, sugar...wherever do you work?”
    “Angericos on Fifth, downtown.”
    Maris gasped. “That’s you ? I love that place. Eat there all the time...at least when I can get a reservation. Your restaurant is always booked. Even Darling has trouble getting in.”
    Ture blushed at the compliments. “I try my best not to suck at my job.”
    “Baby, you succeed admirably.” Maris reached for a napkin as the door opened to admit Syn.
    He pulled up short at the sight of them together. Then he narrowed a grimace at Maris. “Did you wake him?”
    “If I say yes, will you spank me?”
    Syn rolled his