Nico’s pulse quickened. “What did he say?”
“He and Andy have dropped Anna off at the diner and are going to leave town, drive as far away as they can get from us today, putting distance between us.”
Nico nodded. “That could work….”
“They’re stopping by John’s house first, to pack some things. I tried to tell him it wasn’t a good idea.”
“No. It’s not.” He held Jamie’s gaze while despair welled inside him, catching at his breath. The boy would be lost, as so many others had been. He tried to turn away, but Jamie wouldn’t break eye contact. Nico saw the fear there but also a deep-seated courage, a quiet determination offering him strength.
“Shall we go after them?” Jamie challenged, his voice steady.
“Will you give me a choice?” Nico countered, relieved when Jamie shook his head. He said a silent prayer of gratitude to the god who’d sent him to Jamie’s dock that cold, desperate night. Had it only been a few days ago?
Jamie walked over to him and took his hand, his grip strong, comforting. “You’re not alone anymore,” he whispered and kissed the corner of Nico’s mouth. “Lean on me. I’m stronger than I look.”
“I know you are, amore. I only wish you didn’t have to be.”
Jamie drew on his glove and picked up his hat from the couch where Piter had tossed it. Nico fought a spurt of jealousy. He’d seen the images Piter had shared with Jamie. His blood heated again, but he would never use his lover like that. He’d seek out all the ways Jamie liked to be pleasured, bringing him to climax with his lips and fingers and cock.
Jamie glanced at him and reddened under his stare. “Come on. Someone needs fresh air,” he muttered as he passed Nico, a laugh in his voice. Nico followed him to the front door, and they stepped into a whirl of snowflakes. Apparently, the doctor had piled their snowshoes and Jamie’s pack on the sidewalk before he drove away. Nico sighed with relief. Snow was already filling their previous footprints and the snowshoes would make their trip back to John’s cabin possible.
They laced up the shoes; then Jamie handed him a set of goggles from his pack and led him back toward the center of town. “I know a place where we can rent a snowmobile,” Jamie said as they trudged along the snowbound sidewalk.
“Excellent.” Icy snow struck Nico’s face, and he pulled up his scarf, making further speech impossible. It took nearly half an hour to reach the main street, and Nico was shivering by the time they approached the rental shop. With a nod to him, Jamie entered the small building. Nico leaned against the wall by the door, looking over the row of snowmobiles for hire. He’d caught Jamie’s sense of urgency and hoped they could get on their way quickly.
In minutes, Jamie returned, followed by a man in a light coat who waved to one of the snowmobiles, briefly describing its operation before he hurried back inside the tiny shop. Nico and Jamie walked over to the vehicle, and Jamie looked at the keys in his hand.
“May I drive?” Nico asked and chuckled when Jamie’s shoulders slumped a little. He tugged Jamie’s scarf down slightly and kissed his nose. “Promise I’ll let you drive next time.”
Jamie laughed and handed him the keys. “Deal.”
Nico straddled the bike and started the engine, enjoying Jamie’s warmth at his back despite the circumstances. He carefully maneuvered out of the parking lot, and Jamie gave him directions to the road leading out of town. Wind and driving snow whipped against them when they reached the open fields, but soon enough the trees closed in around them, lending them some protection.
The miles sped by and Nico grew conscious of Jamie’s hands on his thighs, the heat of his body seeping into him, warming his troubled heart. For just an instant, he dreamed of a future with this lovely man, free of the Krampus’s cruelty. An unaccustomed emotion swelled in his heart. He thought it might be hope. He blinked to clear the tears blurring his vision.
“Please let me have this,” he begged to a god who never seemed to hear him. A new determination formed in his thoughts. This would end. In this last confrontation, either he or Piter would come out the winner. He wouldn’t spend one more hour at the creature’s mercy.
Jamie gasped when Nico throttled forward and the snowmobile flew over the snow, the white powder arcing out behind them. Nico laughed, feeling free of chains he hadn’t known he’d been dragging around for years. He’d given up hope, but Jamie’s love renewed him, gave him purpose, a reason to live beyond the day-to-day misery of his existence.
In a short time, the doctor’s cabin came into view. A shiver of dread swept Nico when he didn’t immediately spot the Jeep. He pulled to a stop at the front of the house and lifted up his goggles. “Where are they?”
Jamie climbed off the vehicle and surveyed the house, hands on hips. “I don’t see their tracks. We beat them here, somehow.”
“Unless he lied to you.”
Jamie removed his goggles and scarf and looked at him. His face was pinched with cold but his expression was curious. “Why would you think that? John’s a friend of mine, and he knows I want to help. They’ll be here. Probably took some time to say good-bye to Anna.”
Nico kept his doubts to himself, hoping Jamie was right. When had he grown so bitter and mistrustful? There was a time when he believed in the good in people. He realized he wanted that back. He yearned for the innocence of his youth.
Jamie held out his hand and they mounted the steps to the porch together. They removed their snowshoes and entered the unlocked cabin, and Nico smiled. He’d made love to Jamie here last night. Jamie made a soft sound and Nico’s smile widened, knowing his lover remembered it too.
After hanging up coats and hats, scarves and gloves, Nico put a hand on the small of Jamie’s back, leaning down to meet his upturned face for a kiss. “I’ll stir up the fire if you want to make us something hot to drink,” he suggested.
“Of course.” Jamie made no effort to leave and Nico kissed him again, then nudged him toward the kitchen. “Drinks, angelo mio,” he said and chuckled when Jamie gave him a mock salute and marched into the other room. He followed, kneeling at the warm hearth. Coals from the morning still glowed among the ashes, and Nico stirred them up, adding kindling, then larger pieces, till the flames danced.
Jamie joined him on the couch. “I put the kettle on,” he said, settling against Nico’s shoulder. Nico held him close to his side and kissed the top of his vibrant head. It surprised him when Jamie pulled away and a pretty blush colored his face. “Don’t. I haven’t showered yet today,” he confessed.
“Adorabile,” Nico murmured when Jamie’s blush deepened. He kissed his hot cheek and spent an enjoyable moment tasting his lips, then sat back to watch the flames on the hearth.
“Nico, can I ask you something?”
“What is it?” He hoped it was something he could answer.
“I hardly know anything about you. Where are you from? Are your parents in Italy?”
“There’s not much to tell,” he said, picking up Jamie’s hand and lacing their fingers together. “I was born in Patara, a small city on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. But an epidemic swept through the area and my parents died when I was very young. I spent my childhood with my uncle Nicolas in Myra. When I grew older, I traveled the world, finally settling in Italy, where I’ve spent most of my life.”
He liked Jamie’s sly smile. “I bet you could tell me lots of exciting stories of your travels.”
“My lips are sealed,” he said demurely. Jamie snickered and climbed into his lap, wrapping his arms around Nico’s neck.
“I don’t need to hear about your past lovers, Nico, as long as I have your attention now.”
“Always, my sweet angel,” he murmured, meeting Jamie’s lips in a kiss he felt to his soul. He held him tightly to his breast. He didn’t sense that Piter was near and for the moment let his love and gratefulness spill from his heart. He placed gentle kisses along Jamie’s jawline, the hint of stubble making him shudder with desire to strip him naked and taste the sweetness
of his skin, have that slight stubble rub along the more intimate places on his body.
Jamie sighed and raised his head, and Nico’s chest tightened with the hunger betrayed in his intent gaze. Jamie touched his face, his lips, and gave him a tentative smile. “I want to know everything about you,” he said, a quaver in his voice. “Please don’t be mad by this next question. You don’t have to answer, either. But you say you stopped Piter from committing murder. Thank God for that. But what is this power he seems to have over you? You say he can find you anywhere in the world and that no one who is your friend is safe from him. How is this possible? I don’t understand it, Nico.”
Dismay swept through Nico and the black despair he’d been fighting for months pressed its suffocating weight on his heart. He had to tell Jamie the truth, and lose him. But madre di Dio, he’d been lonely so long.
He quickly turned his face, not wanting Jamie to see the tears that burned his eyes. He shouldn’t have made love to him last night. Jamie’s body was exquisite, soft skin and silken hardness. But it was his joy in their coupling that captured Nico’s heart. He wanted his lover’s vibrant body against his again, wanted to hear the laughter and lust in his voice. Wanted to see the passion in his beautiful eyes. How was he to give him up?
“Nico?” Jamie cupped his face, turned him so their gazes met. Jamie’s tentative smile slipped. “Oh, baby, I’m sorry,” he mourned, brushing Nico’s tears with his thumb. “You don’t have to tell me anything. I shouldn’t have pushed you. Tell me how to help you.”
Nico startled at the hiss of the kettle in the kitchen but Jamie put his hands against his shoulders, holding him in place. “The water can wait. Talk to me, Nico.”
Dio! So much courage in his little angel. “Jamie, I will tell you everything. I promise. Will you give me just a little more time, though? Give me a chance to make things right first. I can’t lose you—”
Jamie’s mouth stopped his words with a hard kiss. “I wish you trusted me,” he whispered against Nico’s lips. “But I can wait. Only, don’t take too long. You’re hurting both of us.”
The kettle sang in the kitchen, and Jamie sighed, climbing off his lap. Nico watched him cross the room, his heart thudding painfully. He’d had his share of lovers, some even as lovely as Jamie, but none had looked at him with the love and trust and need he saw in Jamie’s eyes. He was worth fighting for, even if the battle proved to be his last.
Chapter Twelve
NICO STARED into the flames on the hearth, wondering how his life had become so desperate, and raised his head on hearing the drone of an engine.
“I think they’re here,” he warned and rose to his feet. Jamie came up beside him and slipped his hand in Nico’s just as the vehicle came to a stop in front of the cabin. Doors slammed and boots crunched on the snow, then climbed the steps onto the porch. Jamie drew a quick breath and Nico squeezed his hand reassuringly as the door opened and John and his son Andy came inside on a gust of icy wind.
John quickly shut the door and stripped off jacket and hat and the rest of his outdoor gear. He flicked them a glance as he knelt and helped Andy with his boots. “Thought I’d find you here.”
“We’re worried about you,” Jamie said and went over to help Andy with his coat.
Nico watched the child’s face light up when he saw Jamie. “Are we painting today?”
“Maybe.” Jamie looked at the doctor.
John scowled at the snow that came in with them and was melting on the oak floor. “Another storm front’s moving in, lots of snow,” he said. “The temperature’s already falling, and with the wind chill factor, they’re saying it will drop into the negative degrees by nightfall. Looks like we’re not going anywhere.”
Nico shivered as an icy chill spilled through him. “Let us—”
John swept to his feet, and Nico blinked at the fury on his face but held his ground as the man strode up to him. “I don’t know you. You came here uninvited, put my child at risk. Who the hell are you?”
“John.”
The doctor swiveled and glared at Jamie. Nico’s heart pounded at the anxiety twisting his lover’s face. “Please, John. Let us help—”
“No! The snow is just now starting to fall more heavily. With the snowmobile you should have time to get back to your own cabin before it really sets in.”
“But—”
“I want you gone! Both of you. That guy at Anna’s seems to be after your friend here. I don’t want either of you near Andy.”
Nico opened his mouth to speak, but Jamie gave a sharp jerk of his head, coming up to them. “John, we’ll go, if that’s what you want. But answer something first. How did Piter get into Anna’s house?”
John’s face tightened with anger, then his shoulders fell and he let out a defeated breath. “She’s not sure. There was a knock on the door and she saw him standing on the porch through the front window. Didn’t think twice about letting him in. She said she felt perfectly safe, as if they were old friends, though she admits she’d never seen him before. It’s terrifying.”
Jamie nodded vigorously. “It is. He’s done the same to me and can fool you just as easily. But he can’t seem to touch Nico.”
Nico blinked when both men turned expectantly to him.
“Why is that?” John asked, suspicion in his voice.
Nico couldn’t blame him. He shrugged, hoping the man wouldn’t press him. “I’ve known Piter a very long time. His tricks no longer work on me.”
“But they used to,” Jamie said, voice soft. The hint of jealousy in his gaze was flattering, but even lonely as he’d been, Nico wished now he’d never given in to Piter’s ripe beauty.
“Yes they did, but I learned to block his thoughts.”
John shifted restlessly, picking his son up when Andy tugged on his pants leg. “What exactly does he do?”
Nico shook his head. “It’s hard to explain. Piter has a strong will and can somehow focus his thoughts, push into someone’s mind, leaving suggestions. He can’t control you, but very close.”
“Shit,” John whispered and held his son tighter until Andy wiggled in protest. Nico watched them helplessly until Jamie once again took charge.
“We’re staying, John. I made hot water for tea, and how about a hot chocolate, Andy?”
The boy’s smile was brilliant. “Can I, Dad?”
“Of course,” John said huskily and put him down. Jamie took his hand and they walked toward the kitchen, Andy chatting merrily while Jamie grinned at him, barely able to get a word in edgewise. Nico returned to the fire and stirred up the flames. He felt the doctor’s gaze but ignored it. He had nothing more he’d willingly add to what he’d already said. After a moment he heard John’s frustrated sigh and the man joined his son and Jamie in the kitchen.
Nico listened with half an ear to their conversation, kept pleasant for the boy’s sake. He fought it, but a feeling of isolation crept over him. He wished Jamie would come to him, hold his hand and keep the loneliness at bay. A frown creased his forehead. Was Piter nearby, toying with him? His limbs became weighted. He couldn’t move. Cristo! He’d let his defenses down and Piter had found a way in. He tried to call Jamie, but the child’s laughter reached him, merry, careless, plunging him into terrible memories. Tears leaked free and he put his head back on the couch when the sweet stench of meat and blood filled his nostrils, taking him to that terrible room.
HE STARED at the meat scraps under the table, horror rising in his throat, cutting off his air. A child’s hand lay discarded in twisted entrails and bone, fingers splayed as if pleading for mercy.
“What?” The butcher followed his gaze, looking at the bloody pile. He hissed and jerked his attention back to Nicolas. “Leave, now,” he said, baring his teeth.
Nicolas held his ground, unable to tear his gaze from the small hand. “Dio! What have you done?”
He startled when the butcher strode up to him, cleaver raised. “Leave, porca miseria! Or join them….”
Nic
olas looked into his wild green eyes, saw the manic glee and madness inside. The butcher had killed before, wallowed in the terror and tears of his victims on their knees, begging while he hacked their life from them. The forms of the three brothers rose in his mind, the terror on their young faces twisting his heart with pity. The butcher made the other two watch as he slaughtered their brother, then the next, until the oldest boy stood with their blood splashed on his clothing and a dead heart, praying the end came soon. His grief broke Nicolas’s heart, the boys’ screams echoing in his head until he covered his ears. “Stop, please!” he cried out, not knowing if he pleaded with the tortured boys or the butcher.
The man froze, eyes widening with confusion. “What—”
“Silenzio! Not another sound.” Righteous fury swelled in Nicolas’s chest. Damn the man! How could he have done this to these innocents? “God, help me,” he murmured, gathering his strength. He was a devout man, dedicating his life to God’s will. “Grant me your mercy,” he prayed now, closing his eyes to more focus his thoughts. He pictured the boys as he’d last seen them, running free through the woods, laughter spilling into the evening air. He wanted that again, seeing the boys standing whole and alive in that terrible cabin.
He felt a power stronger than himself rise inside him. “Come forth!” he cried, voice ringing in the decaying rafters and walls of the butcher’s shack. Blood roared in his ears, his heart stuttering, then starting again with a painful lurch. Silence deafened him.
Nicolas blinked his eyes open, felt the tears on his face. No, blood. The vessels in his eyes had burst with strain as the power surged out of him. Through his blurry vision he saw the three boys standing naked in the room, whole, unblemished. “Grazie, o mio Dio,” he whispered, nearly falling to the floor, overcome.
But the butcher shook himself as if waking from a dream. “Demone! What evil is this?” His voice shook with terror and he raised the cleaver over his head, rushing for the boys.
“No!” Nicolas jumped forward, shoving the butcher hard from behind. Time slowed, every movement clear to his horrified gaze as the man lost his footing and fell, his startled cry drowned in a strangled gurgle as his forehead struck the stonework of the hearth.
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