John began to shake his head, then his face paled. “They might be at the Reynolds’ place on Thunder Bay River. The house is empty. Lizzie passed away today and her husband is staying with family.”
“Why there?” Jamie asked, his voice kind.
John swallowed several times before he spoke. “My wife’s car accident was a few blocks from there. I’ve been thinking about her all day.”
“Then that’s where we should start,” Nico said and cleared the gruffness from his voice, his heart aching for the man. The loss he suffered showed plainly on his face. John nodded, glancing away, and headed for the front door without a word. Nico exchanged a look with Jamie, who put the tea things in the sink and followed him.
They pulled on their outdoor gear, but before stepping outside after John, Nico turned and cupped Jamie’s face in his hands, smoothed the lines of worry from his brow with his thumbs. He placed a soft kiss on his lips. “Ti amo,” he murmured regretfully. “This is going to be hard on you. But whatever Piter says, believe that I love you. Only you have my heart. Piter never has.”
Jamie put a hand on the back of Nico’s head, fingers threading his curls as he kissed him hard. “And I love you,” he said fiercely. “Don’t believe anything Piter says to the contrary.”
Nico smiled a little against his lips. “Then we are in agreement.”
“Finally,” Jamie muttered and Nico’s dark mood lightened as he followed him outside. Snow fell in thick flakes, but the wind hadn’t picked up yet. Nico pulled his scarf over his mouth and nose against the bitter cold. Maybe they could make it to town before the storm settled its fury on them. John had the truck idling while he checked the chains on the tires.
“We should be all right,” John said, inspecting the sky as they came up to him. “But we’d better get moving. It will be getting dark early because of the storm.”
Jamie straddled the snowmobile and started the ignition.
Nico gave him a quick hug. “Be safe,” he murmured and climbed into the passenger seat of the truck. John settled behind the wheel and glanced at him, but put the truck into drive without voicing the questions evident in his eyes. The tires slipped, then caught, and they began the slow descent off the mountain. Nico screamed in his head as the minutes were eaten away. He needed to find little Andy, wanted it all to be over with.
He glanced over his shoulder and watched Jamie out the back window. What he wouldn’t give to steal away, take Jamie to his small villa overlooking the sea. He’d spend his life making love to Jamie’s sweet body while the soft Italian sun caressed his fair skin. Everyone would fall in love with his beauty and gentle ways, and Jamie could paint to his heart’s content on the patio. A soft breeze would keep the heat of summer at bay and a blazing fire on the stone hearth inside and Nico’s love would warm him in winter.
Nico’s chest lifted on a heavy breath. Piter Rupert would never set him free. The Krampus haunted his steps. There were times, maybe a few months, a year, when he would have peace. But Piter would find him wherever he hid and begin the cycle again. Nico remembered every child the Krampus had tormented over the years, many to spend their lives with nightmares too horrible to imagine.
A shudder traveled through him but he shoved off the despair crowding the corners of his mind. He had someone to fight for this time, a future he longed for with every ounce of his being. Piter be damned. He wanted this life with Jamie, please God. He would end things this time, once and for all.
The miles crept by, ice building up on the windshield wipers, snow blocking the view from the side windows. A sudden gust of wind slammed into the truck, making his heart jump.
“Are we almost to Alpena?” he asked, trying to keep the desperate note from his voice. He kept losing sight of Jamie behind them.
“Nearly there,” John confirmed, voice clipped, betraying his concern as the wind began to howl around them, buffeting the truck.
Nico’s breath caught when buildings appeared through the falling snow out the front windshield. John slowed the truck further, and they crept along the deserted streets, snowdrifts forming from the wind. At last they turned onto Fletcher Street, crawling past the Heritage Center and pulling into a driveway in front of a small bungalow-style home on the river.
John turned off the ignition, staring at the dark house. “You think they’re here?” he asked, and jumped when the engine tinged as it quickly cooled.
“Let’s find out.”
They climbed out of the truck and waited for Jamie to park, Nico going to him and tugging down his scarf. “You’re all right?”
“I’m fine—”
John surprised them by skirting the house to the back and Jamie raised his brows. “We’d better go.”
They followed, Nico quickly chilling in the stiff breeze off the river. They found John staring at the gray churning water of Thunder Bay River. His voice sounded lost, haunted, when he spoke. “It’s my fault.”
Jamie looked at him, his eyes dark with compassion when he pulled off his glasses. “What is?”
“Helen’s death. Andy was four months old and she hadn’t been out with her friends in all that time. I insisted she meet with them for lunch even though the roads were icy. They’re always icy in winter, but she was a safe driver.
“Unfortunately the man that hit her car wasn’t. The police report says she was crossing the bridge on Ninth Street when the oncoming truck lost control on a patch of black ice and skidded into her lane. The impact sent her small car over the railing into the river. They say she died instantly, but why do I hear her calling me for help? I hear her voice in the water….”
John’s words had taken on a singsong quality and he strode toward the water’s edge. Jamie gave Nico a panicked look and hurried after him, slipping in the snow but managing to keep his feet. Catching up to him, Jamie grabbed John’s arm. Nico watched them converse, Jamie speaking with gestures and sharp words. In a moment John’s shoulders slumped with defeat, and they started back toward Nico.
Chapter Fifteen
NICO LOOKED at the deserted bungalow as snow swirled violently around him. “I’m coming,” he warned. Not waiting for the others, he strode to the front of the house. Mounting the porch steps, he wondered in a small recess of his mind what horrors Piter would have waiting for him. The rest of his thoughts he sealed off. He couldn’t allow the Krampus inside his head if he hoped to save the boy.
He turned the handle and the door opened into a shadowy living room, lit only by the dim sunlight creeping through the snow-caked windows. A small gasp escaped him when the Christmas tree in the corner suddenly flashed on, colored lights reflecting on the tinsel and bright ornaments. An ache touched his heart before he could control it, his shyness and insecurity after his parents’ death flooding through him. His uncle had been kind, but distant, and his childhood had been lonely.
He had found comfort in the rigors and rituals of his faith, and even now attained solace in prayer. But his strong devotion had kept him isolated, and it wasn’t until adulthood that he would go out into the village. He quickly became aware of the poverty of his people and did what he could to help: food and care, a coin now and then where needed.
His village had taken him as their spiritual leader and he’d been happy in that simple life. Before the wondrous, terrible day when he had saved those young boys from a butcher. The day his long torment had begun.
Nico rolled his shoulders, the burden he carried heavy today. He hadn’t meant to kill the butcher. He would never willingly have taken another’s life. But he had killed and deserved his fate. But the children the Krampus terrorized didn’t. Tears burned his eyes for those young souls. He had to end this.
“Piter, I’m here, where you wanted me.” Nico cleared the hesitation from his voice. He had to hurry before the others came inside, saying more firmly, “Let the boy free and I’ll do anything you ask of me.”
“Seems I’ve heard that before, Nico.”
Nico’s sharp gaze searched t
he room. Andy wasn’t present, but his eyes landed on Piter where he leaned against the doorframe leading to another part of the house. Piter watched him, his wide lips lifting into a leer. “Come here, baby. Stand next to the tree.”
Nico curled his hand into a fist but complied, wondering how far Piter would take this. The creature could be exquisitely cruel, burrowing until he found Nico’s deepest insecurities and brought them to daylight. He tried to keep his mind blank, but a noise at the door sent his pulse leaping and Jamie’s precious image sprang to the forefront of his thoughts. Piter’s amused laughter turned to a growl.
He approached Nico, touched his face, his green eyes gleaming with hate and lust. “I see young Jamie has taken my place in your dreams,” he purred, lowering the zipper on Nico’s coat. “No matter. I know what you need.”
Piter’s fingers slid under his sweater and Nico trembled as his touch scorched his skin. Piter moved closer, dropping his fair head and nuzzling Nico’s neck, nipping the sensitive spot behind his ear. The talented fingers crawled higher, sliding over his stomach muscles, twisting his nipples into tight little buds of pleasure while Piter’s mouth continued to nibble and suck his ear and neck.
Nico ignored him, feigning boredom, but a particularly sharp nip on his ear sent a jolt of pleasure to his balls, awakening his cock. Cristo! Piter lifted his head and laughed in his face. As much as he despised the man, Piter in this mood was breathtaking: green eyes flashing, smile wide, his fair hair in disarray around his lovely face. He pressed his virile body up against Nico, rubbing his hard length against his thigh.
“So the question is, lover,” he purred, licking Nico’s lips, “whether or not I want to take your mouth or your amazing ass.”
Piter ground against him and a shiver traveled Nico’s body. He knew the length and taste of Piter’s cock. A reluctant groan escaped him as he remembered its thickness inside him, stretching him deliciously open. Their first time together had been mind-blowing, every time after that leaving a craving inside him for more. Piter shoved so deep, reaching a place no other man could touch. And while he fucked Nico’s body, Piter also stroked his mind, bringing him to shuddering climax.
Nico clenched his hands at his sides. “Stop! Stay out of my head, Piter. I don’t want you.”
“But I want you.” In a flash Piter’s wicked fingers had Nico’s pants undone and they slid inside, wrapping around his stiff shaft. Piter’s voice was a low hiss in his ear. “You’ll do as I say if you want the boy left unharmed.”
Nico held his breath, stifling a moan when Piter lifted his dick and began to milk him. A familiar ache built in his sac, pleasure radiating throughout his body. Lust shot through him when Piter licked his lush lips, staring at the pearl drop forming on the head of his bulging cock.
Piter glanced up at him through his thick lashes, face wanton, beautiful. “Do you want to suck me, Nico, while I taste your cum down my throat?”
“No,” he gasped, catching his breath when Piter swiped his thumb across the head of his dick. But no matter how much Piter could pleasure him, he never touched Nico’s heart, leaving him cold long after their trysts. And now he had Jamie, who held his heart with gentle hands—
A pounding on the door interrupted his thoughts. Piter’s head shot up, furious, but then a slow smile curled his lips, making Nico tremble.
“Let’s let them in,” Piter murmured and suddenly the door sprang open, crashing against the far wall. Jamie and John rushed inside, and John closed the door on the blowing snow while Jamie approached them, eyes wide.
“Jamie, darling, just on time. I was about to lick Nico dry. Would you rather?” He continued to pull Nico’s dick and Nico swallowed a spurt of lust as Jamie watched, seeming mesmerized. John had made a shocked sound, but Nico ignored him as he imagined Jamie on his knees, Piter feeding him his dick. A groan rumbled in his chest at the thought, but Jamie’s blue eyes turned to Piter instead and Nico’s heart stumbled.
Jamie stepped right up to Piter. “I’d rather suck you,” he whispered and tentatively traced Piter’s lips with his tongue.
With a sharp gasp, Piter dropped Nico’s cock and grabbed Jamie’s braid, holding him in place. “That’s my naughty boy,” he said and claimed Jamie’s mouth.
Nico watched them, numb, and it took him a moment to realize John Meiden tugged on his arm.
“Come on!” John snarled, fury in his voice. “Jamie’s the distraction. Let’s go!”
Nico pulled his mind from the haze of desire he was drowning in as he watched the two men kiss, tucking himself away as he followed the doctor across the room. He paused at the threshold to the hallway leading to the bedrooms and glanced back. A blaze of jealousy tore through him. Jamie’s braid was undone and the glorious red tresses caressed Piter’s fair cheek and neck as they sucked each other’s tongues. Piter’s hands roamed Jamie’s body and Nico choked when Jamie cupped his face. John called to him and he shoved off his blind rage, storming down the hall on the doctor’s heels.
John flung open each door as they reached it, stopping abruptly as the last one swung into a room of nightmares. Gore oozed from the walls, dripped from the ceiling in globs of red and black, staining the blood-soaked carpet. Flies rose in an angry buzz, maggots crawled in the lumps of flesh on the floor. Heat rose around them, an overwhelming stench, and the doctor gagged.
Nico tried to seal off his mind from the horror, focusing instead on the lone chair placed in the center of the room and the small boy, head covered with a sack, tied securely in place. He stepped forward, shuddered at the squelching mass under his foot. The sickly sweet smell of rot surrounded him. Flies circled his head, their buzzing deafening. Nico forced each step, horror creeping up his back as he crossed the bedroom. Faces appeared in the gore, lost children, tears streaming from soulful eyes, mouths opened on silent screams.
“It’s not real,” he warned his reeling mind. Piter never killed the children he took. But guilt gnawed at his heart. Children had suffered because of him. It shouldn’t be little Andy tied to that chair. It should be him. The children’s faces moved in the wall, the floor, turning to him, their eyes accusing, full of hate. No! He’d never meant for this to happen. Anguish became a vise in Nico’s chest. He couldn’t breathe! The heat and stench smothered him. Black specks swam in his sight, and he welcomed them, hiding the grisly nightmare. He would fall and drown in the gore and it would finally be over.
He jumped, heart thundering, when a hand landed heavily on his shoulder.
“Come on!” John hissed in his ear, pulling him from the horror freezing his limbs. Nico drew in a ragged, painful breath of the thick air and stumbled after the doctor. John reached his son and took a knee, not seeming to care about the filth on the floor.
“Andy, I’m here,” he said brokenly. He went to pull the hood from the boy’s head and Nico grabbed his arm.
“Don’t let him see this,” he pleaded. Enough children had been scarred by Piter’s nightmares.
John jerked his head in agreement and started on the knots tying Andy’s legs to the chair. Nico hurried behind him and worked on the ropes binding his hands. The boy’s frightened breathing squeezed his heart and his eyes stung at Andy’s stifled sobbing.
“I’m here, Andy. It’s Dad. Don’t be scared. I got you,” John murmured brokenly. The knots loosened and with a shout John pulled the boy into his arms, rising to his feet.
“Hush, Andy. It’s okay,” he said when the boy began to thrash against him as if trying to get loose. Andy stopped and the hair rose on Nico’s scalp at the high-pitched, incongruous giggle that came from under the sack. John’s eyes widened and he eased the boy back in his arms. “Andy?”
Silence answered. Nico met John’s panicked gaze and shook his head, dread in his heart, but before he could stop him, John pulled the sack free. He cried out at the fey, gnome-like creature in his arms, its head a misshapen mass, eyes wild, its mouth opening wide on sharp fangs. It snarled, foam dribbling on its bulging chin. John
tried to shove the creature from him, but it clung to his arms, roaring, hatred in the deep tones. With a sudden hiss, it surged forward, sinking its teeth into John’s neck. Screaming in agony, the doctor fell instantly to his knees.
Nico stared at the scene in horror as flies swirled in the humid, stifling air and gore oozed down the walls. He clutched his hair, inviting the pain. “Enough!” His voice boomed in the nightmarish room, echoed off the walls. He blinked, swooning with vertigo as the room swirled around him and came to a sudden stop.
Quiet settled around them, and Nico blinked at the ordinary bedroom with its beige carpet, white walls, a dresser and nightstand. A single bed stood against the far wall, a small figure sprawled on the bright coverlet.
John knelt at his feet, his face haggard as he looked up at Nico, eyes swimming with confusion and pain. “What happened?”
“Piter’s playing games, but something else must have caught his attention.” Nico winced, not wanting to think about what his enemy and Jamie might be doing at that moment. “Hurry. Get the boy while we can.”
John stood, swaying, and touched his neck. There were no puncture wounds and relief swept his face. “Terrible dream,” he muttered and crossed the room to the bed. Hesitating only a second, he shook his son’s shoulder. “Andy, wake up.”
Andy made no response, and Nico stifled an impatient curse, his skin crawling. They needed to leave! “John, pick him up. We have to go.”
“Of course.” John bent and scooped Andy up. “Lead the way,” he murmured, pressing kisses to Andy’s pale cheeks. Nico hurriedly left the bedroom, John at his back as he rushed down the hallway. He risked a glance toward the Christmas tree when they entered the living room, but the area stood empty. Where was Jamie? Jealousy burned him but he continued to the front door, opening it onto the white winter scene outside. Snow thickened the air, a few inches already accumulating on the roof of the truck.
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