Driven Snow (25 page)

The emergency techs pushed through the crowd with a stretcher.

Some funny little man in a bright plaid suit dropped to the floor next to Snow. “Are you all right, my dear?”

Snow managed to nod his head.

The woman’s voice cut through the noise and confusion. “Well, this is all lovely, but he shouldn’t be taken anywhere until he forfeits the Anderson Tournament to me.”

A few people in the crowd booed.

Riley looked up. “Officers.”

Lieutenant Rex Cocher stepped out of the crowd. Riley nodded at Anitra. Rex stood in front of her. Her eyebrows rose.

“Anitra Kingsley, you’re under arrest pending extradition to the state of California for attempted murder.”

“Murder? Like hell.” She glanced over her shoulder and took a step back, but two of the IPis caught her.

Riley looked at that beautiful, wicked face. “Yeah, I did a little snooping and found the aconite you fed to Professor Kingsley.”

“You’re crazy. You’ll never prove I did anything like that.”

Snow raised his hand to Riley. “What?” Snow moved the hand to Riley’s nose. “What the fuck?” He looked up. “Peanuts.” He pointed at Anitra. “Check her pockets.”

Before the police could agree or deny, the big guy from the frat house had shoved a hand in Anitra’s pocket. He pulled it out with a scowl. “She’s got ground-up peanuts in there.”

She sniffed. “That’s hardly a crime.”

Riley held Snow close. “It is if you know a person will go into anaphylactic shock with just one whiff of peanuts.”

“How would I know that?”

Riley smiled. “As soon as the professor has fully recovered, I’m sure he’ll tell us exactly when he informed you about Snow’s allergies.”

Snow croaked, “Re-cover—?”

Riley petted his lovely hair. “Yes. As soon as I found the aconite, the doctors were able to hone in on an antidote and treatment. He’s really weak but conscious and getting better with every breath.”

Snow’s head dropped against Riley’s hand.

A young medtech stooped over Riley. “Excuse me, sir, but we need to get him to the hospital. He needs additional treatment and observation after this kind of reaction.”

“Can I go with him?”

The tech looked around. “Is anyone here family?”

Riley, six frat boys, one romantic lover, and one little old elf all raised their hands.

CHAPTER 22

SNOW GIGGLED
as Romeo fed him soup. “I really can feed myself.”

Romeo grinned. “The docs said you shouldn’t exert yourself.”

“Maybe if I only lift three noodles instead of five, I can manage it.” He opened wide and accepted another spoonful.

Ballet Boy tucked the afghan around his legs on the old couch, and three of the other guys stared at their computers in various parts of the big frat house living room. They seemed to make it a practice to hang around with him whenever they weren’t in class. He was half in heaven and half uncomfortable. For someone who spent most of his time alone, living with the IPis and, more particularly, being the center of their attention, was unnerving—and delightful.

He opened his mouth for more soup.

“Uh, hi.”

Snow’s head snapped back, and he managed to spill soup all over the napkin Romeo had wrapped around his neck. Behind him, in the archway from the front door, stood Riley. He stared at his shoes. “Sorry. The door was open. I, uh, brought someone who wanted to see you.”

Snow tore off the napkin and turned. “Mrs. Wishus!”

He started to leap up, but Romeo stretched out an arm. “He’s not supposed to exert himself.”

Snow pushed against him. “Romeo, I’m doing fine.”

Mrs. Wishus held up a hand. “Nonsense. I’m coming to you.”

All the guys stared and grinned. Good reason. She brightened the room with her flowered dress and matching teal-blue hair. BB pushed a chair beside the couch for her, and she smiled as she sat, then took Snow’s hand. “Hi, cutie.”

“Hi, Mrs. W.”

“Hear you about got killed—again.”

“I guess so.” He shrugged.

He could almost ask the question for her. “And what did you learn, cutie?”

“Eudora, are you bedeviling my protégé with life-altering questions, you enchanting goddess, you?”

She gasped, leaped up, threw her arms wide, and ran like she was sixteen, not seventy, toward Mr. P. “Carstairs! What a delightful surprise.” She swept him up in a hug that nearly lifted him from his feet, since she boasted a good six inches on him. When she stepped back, she made a twirling motion with her finger. “Let me look at you.” He turned without a hint of self-consciousness. “Sartorial splendor, as usual.”

Mr. P. had outdone himself in a red-and-white candy-striped shirt, yellow slacks, and a plaid vest, all of which somehow managed to go together on him. He pointed at her hair. “A new look, I believe?”

She patted her waves. “Yes, all the young girls are doing it. I’m not to be outdone.”

“So, I interrupted at a key moment. Snow was about to tell us all what he learned from nearly dying twice.” He escorted Eudora back to her seat, then looked over toward the door. “Riley, for heaven’s sake, my boy, come and sit. This is all about your future too.”

Riley seemed to swallow hard but walked slowly over to a chair Doc had slid out with his foot and sat. He glanced at Snow, his eyes slid to Romeo, then he stared at the floor.

Mr. P. took a seat. “So, darling Eudora, you were saying?”

She waved a hand as if instructing the guys in the room. One more had come in during the grand arrival, so only Bash was still in class. “Typically when one experiences near death, lessons are learned. What were yours, Snowden?” She leaned her head on her hand as if waiting for a bedtime story.

Snow grinned at Mr. P. “I learned that the quantum reality isn’t out to get me.”

Mr. P. slapped his leg. “Good, my boy. Excellent.”

“I learned what I should have known. That every event is just a potential in a far greater fabric and isn’t inherently good or bad. It’s a step to the next. What seems horrible may be glorious in the next moment and horrible again after that, until horrible and glorious mush together into a quantum whole.”

Mrs. Wishus waved her hand. “Yes, yes, dear, that’s all lovely and physicsy, but what did your heart learn?”

He looked at his hands. “I learned I’m not alone.”

Riley sucked in a breath, and Mr. P. smiled.

Snow looked up and gazed at the top of Riley’s golden head. “Forgive me, this won’t come out the way I feel it, but I learned I’m not alone because I belong to myself.” He looked over at Romeo and smiled. “Romeo taught me that.”

Riley rocked back in his chair like someone had hit him, then glanced up.

Mr. P. leaned forward, elbows to knees. “So, Riley, what have you learned as a result of dramatically transforming your life?”

Riley looked surprised, since Mr. P. didn’t know him at all. Snow shrugged. “Mr. P. just knows everything, don’t worry.”

All the IPis nodded.

Everyone stared at Riley. For a second he looked panicked. Then his face softened and saddened. “I learned that I’m too big an idiot to have the man I love.”

Snow drew in his breath to speak, but Mr. P. held up a hand. “Always essential to learn one’s failings, my dear. And why do you think you can’t have this man?”

Riley fell back against the chair. “Because I don’t deserve him. I had a chance to believe in him. To stand behind him in times of trouble, and I failed. Obviously, someone else filled that space.” He nodded toward Romeo. “I can only hope he keeps up the good work.”

Snow leaned forward. “Riley, where have you been since I left Las Vegas?”

“Meeting with the police.”

Snow nodded. “The police of both Las Vegas and here, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Because you found the evidence that put Anitra in jail along with Hunter and saved Professor Kingsley’s life.”

“Yeah, after Hunter sang like a birdie, confessed to trying to drown you, and to Anitra’s peanut scheme to save his own skin.”

“Seems to me like you’re my hero. You saved me.”

Riley shrugged. “I never would have found the aconite if you hadn’t told me where to look.”

Snow smiled. “Okay, then we make a pretty good team.”

For a second his face lit up; then he frowned. “But I blew it. Whoever heard of a hero not believing in the goodness of his love?”

Mrs. Wishus smiled. “Every man has to grow into his herohood.”

Riley sighed. “But Snow said he wants to take care of himself.”

She propped a finger on her chin. “Hmm. I didn’t hear him say that.”

Snow smiled. “I said I know I belong to myself. I never have before, Riley. I was always so stuck on being alone, all I wanted was someone to belong to—a family, a team, a lover. I forgot that I can be a part of those things, but they don’t own me. Still, that doesn’t mean I don’t want a family or a team, or—a lover.”

Riley looked up, his gold eyes connecting with Snow’s. “What about him? Romeo?”

Snow cocked his head. “Romeo, will you tell Riley whether or not we’ve had sex?”

Riley held up a hand. “No. I don’t want to know that. I just want to know if you love him.”

Romeo laughed, and Riley frowned. “I wish, lover boy. Snow made it very clear that despite my considerable charms, he was in love with someone else.”

Snow nodded. “I love Romeo dearly, and all the IPis, but I’m in love with you.”

Riley’s eyes widened. “Me?”

Romeo snorted. “Yeah, even though I told him you were an asshole who didn’t deserve his love, he wouldn’t listen.” Romeo stood and stretched his lean, graceful body, then leveled his gaze at Riley. “But just remember, if you treat him badly, I’m the one waiting in the wings.” Languorously Romeo left the room, flashing his beautiful ass to one and all. But in the ass department, there was only one winner.

Riley moved to the edge of the couch beside Snow. “Is it true? How could you love me when I treated you so badly?”

“Another thing I learned was that someone doesn’t have to love you back for you to love them.” He smiled. “But it’s nice when they do.”

“Hey, you guys, look!” Bash ran into the room, waving the newspaper. He stopped and pointed at the front page. “Two Murder Attempts Couldn’t Stop Reynaldi From Taking Anderson Chess Championship.” He laughed. “Hey, Snow, you won. Listen. ‘Two murder attempts by known felon Monica McGillicutty, aka Anitra Popescu Kingsley, on NorCal’s own Snowden Reynaldi couldn’t stop the young Grandmaster from taking the trophy and $100,000 winnings at the Anderson International Chess Tournament.’”

Snow shook his head. “I never dreamed they’d call it a default. I better remember for the future that prostitution may not disqualify you from chess, but murder does.” He laughed.

Bash rattled the newspaper. “Listen to this. ‘Thanks to the intervention of local hero Riley Prince, police collected sufficient evidence to hold McGillicutty and her accomplice Hunter Borders for attempted homicide, not only on Reynaldi, but also on Professor Harold Kingsley. Kingsley, who has been in a coma for several weeks, is recovering after Prince’s sleuthing demonstrated he’d been poisoned.’” Bash grinned. “Is that cool or what?”

Gormet yelled out, “Hey, Snow, are you going to transfer to Grimm?”

Snow shook his head. “It’s really tempting, but I only have half a year to go until I graduate. Besides, the dean called this morning and apologized for being taken in by Anitra. I’m not expelled anymore.”

“What about the money your trust idiots wouldn’t give you?” Hacker asked.

“I haven’t talked to them, but I expect they’ll see things differently. Actually, I’ll be twenty-one in a few months, and then it’s all mine anyway. They’ll be so fired.”

Bash laughed. “Hey man, who gives a shit? You just won a hundred thou.”

Mr. P. clapped his hands. “And when we’re finished, those winnings will be a mere dribble compared to all the products and services that will benefit from association with your beautiful face.”

Snow just shook his head.

Gormet said, “Even if you won’t transfer, you can still come live with the IPis.”

Mrs. Wishus waved her arms. “Oh no you don’t. He’s coming with us, and we’re installing him in his new apartment—upstairs from yours truly.”

Snow looked at Riley. “Really? You want this?”

“I thought it would be, uh, you know, good for you to, uh, have somebody looking out for you and all.” He actually scuffed his sneaker.

Mrs. Wishus put a hand on Riley’s arm. “You’re blowing this, darling. Tell Snow how you feel.”

He whispered, “He knows I love him. I said it about twelve times when he collapsed.”

“Riley! He was unconscious.”

Snow smiled softly. “No, I wasn’t. I heard every word.” He looked in Riley’s golden eyes. “Every time you said ‘I love you,’ I felt more alive. I barely needed the epinephrine.”

Riley’s face lit like a summer sunrise. “So would you want to move in and live with me—and Mrs. Wishus, of course?”

Snow blinked hard. “It would be almost like having a mom.”

Mrs. Wishus rocked back in her chair. “It will be exactly like having a mom when it comes to eating vegetables, getting sleep, and doing what makes you happy.”

Snow wiped at the liquid that splashed his face. “Being with Riley makes me happy.”

“It’s done, then.” She stood. “Riley, take your boyfriend home. You have a game to prepare for.”

Snow slapped a hand to his mouth. “Oh my God, I forgot the championship game.”

Riley shrugged. “No big deal. We’ll either win or we won’t.”

Mr. Pennymaker laughed. “How very quantum of you, my boy.”

“YOU SURE
you’re up to this?”

Riley gazed up at Snow, who leaned over him, naked and pale as the stuff he was named for. And just as beautiful. “Absolutely. I need some practice with my deep breathing. Are you sure you don’t want me to start learning to bottom?”

Riley shook his head and pulled Snow’s hand to his harder than hard cock. “This guy has been missing having you in my ass. I mean, really missing it.”

“Ah yes, but I must first show you some of my newfound knowledge.”

“Oh?”

Snow grinned and grabbed the lube. He squirted a dollop in his hand and took hold of Riley’s cock with great confidence. Then that pretty little devil started giving him the hand job of the century—hand over hand with a twist at the top. “Holy crap! That’s incredible. Don’t do too much or I’ll come too soon.”