Dr. Brody Parker simply leaned against the doorway to the bedroom, arms folded across his chest.
“Can’t I even eat breakfast on my own?” Kianti tossed aside her black tote.
“Ah, breakfast.” Brody pushed off the doorway. “You mean that stuff we practically have to force you to eat?”
“Can’t a person improve their eating habits?”
“Of course, but this is you we’re talkin’ about,” Brody countered.
Kianti threw up her hands. “I don’t want to waste time going back and forth over this.”
“Oh, we know that.” Khan chuckled. “Obviously you prefer spending your time with the ambassador.”
“Hmph.” She folded her arms over her sweater. “And did your spies tell you I was at the table long before he got there?”
“Maybe y’all planned it that way last night,” Cube chided with a sly wink and a mouthful of Skittles.
“Did you take your pill?”
“Yes!” Kianti snapped at Brody’s question.
“That’s funny since, according to my count it doesn’t look like you’ve taken one in over two weeks.”
Kianti stilled but for a moment. “You went through my stuff?” She exploded, her dark gaze more brilliant in the wake of anger.
Feathers unruffled, Brody merely shrugged. “Are you trying to kill yourself?”
“Yes. Yes, Brody, that’s exactly what I’m trying to do. Didn’t you see the coffin catalog on the nightstand when you were going through my things?”
The room quieted. Winton had finished his call. Khan shut off the television. The group had had their run-ins regarding Kianti’s outlook toward her health, but never had she gone so far as to shun the pills which kept her heart rate stable. The sudden spikes in pulse had plagued Kianti since childhood.
She hid her face in her hands and inhaled deeply for a moment. “Guys…I’m trying to live. I don’t want to be tied to those things my entire life.”
“Those things help keep you alive.”
She smiled over Brody’s soft reminder. “And I stopped taking them four weeks ago.” She studied the surprise in his dark eyes. “Guess you didn’t bother to check my previous bottle.”
“Dammit, Key!” Khan threw the remote to the coffee table. “Hell, that’s just stupid!”
“And I don’t expect any of you to understand.” She pointed a finger toward the floor. “You don’t know what it’s like not being able to do what you love without some crutch—not to be able to have someone to love for fear of…”
The guys exchanged meaningful looks over the top of Kianti’s head. Slowly, they crowded her. Cube was first to draw her close and kiss the top of her head.
Brody squeezed her arms. “Don’t you know they’d have to bury us, too, if anything ever happened to you?”
“You’re our meal ticket, girl.” Cube shook her gently. “Not to mention our pass to all the best parties.”
Soft laughter rose among the five. Brody and Kianti had known each other since childhood. Kianti met Cube, Khan and Winton in college where she’d tutored Winton in English Lit while he’d tutored her in Advanced Calculus. Cube, Khan and Winton shared a dorm suite with Brody. Despite the unorthodox dynamic, the group had developed a close-knit relationship that bordered on familial.
Kianti knocked her fist against the denim shirt covering Cube’s wide chest. “Guys, I’ve been off the pills for four weeks. Can’t we just wait and see what happens?”
As a response, Kianti heard all sorts of curses and other low sounds of disapproval.
“Hell, Brody’s the doctor.” Winton rubbed his fingers across the faded haircut he sported. “I have to agree with Khan though, this is plain stupid.” He tugged Kianti out of Cube’s embrace and into his own. “We hear what you’re sayin’, babe, but this is only one pill. Some folks have to take ten times as much medication.”
“And people overcome their need for medication every day.” She tugged the zipper dangling from his windbreaker. “Like you said, some people take ten times as much as I do.”
Bested, Winton waved his hand and turned Kianti toward Brody. “You talk to her.”
“All right, Key, we’ll do it your way.” The doctor stunned everyone, including his patient. “But understand—” he wagged a finger “—you’re backing me—all of us—into a corner here. We can’t force you to do a damn thing when it comes right down to it. This is your life, but you’ve put us in charge of protecting it. Look for us to be even more aggressive in keeping you safe, calm and rested. Even if we have to tie you down in a bed to make it happen.”
Khan nudged her side. “That part’ll be easy since we’ve all thought of doing it at one time or another.” He winked, waiting for the smile he was trying to rouse from her. He succeeded, joining in when she grinned.
“If none of this works, you’re back on the pills. Agreed?” Brody brought the seriousness back to the moment.
Kianti’s nod came slowly but with a great deal of relief. She no longer had to hide.
“All right, y’all, we should go,” Brody told the guys and squeezed Kianti’s hand. “You rest up. We’re out of here in a few hours.”
“Are they around her all the time?”
“Pretty much from what I gather.”
“Well, who are they? To her, I mean?”
Therin began questioning Vaughn about Kianti Lawrence shortly after the rest of the staff left them alone in the living area.
“She’s not…involved with them all, is she?” Therin smiled, knowing the idea was ludicrous. Still, for a woman like that…it wouldn’t be a difficult thing to keep a man or four dangling.
“It’s not like that, man,” Vaughn said through his chuckling.
“From what you gather?” Therin countered, watching as Vaughn shrugged.
“What’s got you so interested here?”
Therin’s expression was incredulous. “Did you take a good look at her this morning?”
“Damn straight I did.” Vaughn swore while raising his hands for confirmation. “She’s a goddess but she doesn’t live in this hotel. Neither do you. You don’t even live in the country—technically.”
Therin had moved over to the windows and sat on the back of the oversize chair facing them.
Vaughn followed. “Talk to me, T. What is it about this one?”
“Hell, man, what’s the big deal?” His grin was forced. “I only asked if she’s attached to her bodyguards.”
“Simple as that, huh?” Vaughn rubbed at the receding edge of his hairline. His handsome honey-toned face was a picture of disbelief. “How many times did you zone out this morning, man?”
“Understandable.” Therin tapped his hand to the front of the sweatshirt he wore. “I wasn’t particularly interested in the conversation when I walked out of here earlier.”
“Mmm-hmm, and you weren’t all too pleased that I interrupted your breakfast to ask you to join us back up here.”
“Like I said, just didn’t want to