Sinister Shadows

by Brittany Cournoyer

  “You live here?” Duncan asked as he continued to stare at the house.

  “We live here,” Pierce corrected him before he shut off the car and climbed out.

  Duncan took his time unfastening his seatbelt and opening his door, and when he was finished, Pierce was by his side to help him out of the car.

  “Let me help you inside. You’re not supposed to be on that ankle.”

  “I have crutches,” Duncan reminded him.

  “This yard is full of holes, and the ground is uneven. The last thing we need is for you to fall.”

  Duncan wanted to argue, but Pierce had a point. At his quick nod, Pierce stood back so Duncan had room to leave the car, then he wrapped an arm around Duncan’s back. Together, with Duncan leaning most of his weight against Pierce, they made their way to the front door. Pierce had been right—the ground was uneven and rocky, and there were a few holes made from the wildlife.

  After reaching the door, Pierce quickly unlocked it and pushed it open. “Welcome home.”

  Duncan didn’t say a word as he hobbled over the threshold and took in the main room of the house. It was sparsely furnished, just as Pierce had told him. There was only a couch and a straight back chair in the living room. No finishing touches, pictures, or even a television.

  “How long have we lived here?” Duncan asked and winced when his voice echoed.

  “Not long. Only a few months. Finding furniture to fit your vision hasn’t been easy for you.”

  Duncan eyed the black leather couch that looked worn in a few spots. “And this did?” he couldn’t help but ask.

  Pierce followed Duncan’s gaze to the couch and snorted. “Not at all. Bringing this here was a huge argument between us, but we needed a couch while you shopped. You agreed, with the contingency it gets donated after you find a new one.”

  “I see,” Duncan replied.

  “Would you like to see the rest of the house?”

  Duncan shook his head. “Not right now. I’m feeling pretty tired and want to lie down for a while. Where’s my room?”

  Pierce looked toward the stairs. “Our room is on the second floor.”

  The unease Duncan had tried to push away started to stir again. He wasn’t sure he could rest peacefully while a man he didn’t know was sleeping beside him. “Wouldn’t it be easier on me to sleep downstairs? With my ankle, I don’t think the stairs are a good idea.”

  Pierce pursed his lips and eyed Duncan with his dark, penetrating stare. “I see what you mean, but unfortunately the spare rooms aren’t furnished yet. Only our room has a bed. If you don’t feel comfortable sleeping with me, I can take the couch.”

  Duncan instantly felt guilty. Pierce had been nothing but kind and patient with him, and the last thing he wanted to do was upset Pierce or put him out.

  “No, it’s okay. Just help me get up the stairs.”

  It took a few minutes, but finally Duncan was laid on the bed with a pillow propped under his leg. Pierce disappeared long enough to get the bag of belongings from the car, and he returned to the room a few minutes later with a tray loaded down with a sandwich, some chips, and a glass of juice.

  “Hey, where’s my phone?”

  “What do you need a phone for?”

  Duncan thought the question was odd. “Don’t I have friends or someone I can call and let them know I’m okay?”

  Pierce settled the tray across Duncan’s lap. “Your phone is missing. It must’ve fallen out of your pocket when you got hurt. I have to run into town to get your prescriptions and more groceries, so I can stop and get you another one. In the meantime, I’ll let Dawn and Chris know you’re home, okay?”

  The names didn’t sound familiar to Duncan, but he only had what Pierce told him to go by. Maybe they were a couple he’d met after getting with Pierce. With a nod, he picked up the sandwich and took a bite.

  “Thank you,” he said after he swallowed it down.

  Pierce gave him a weak smile. He looked like he wanted to lean over and kiss him or touch him somehow, but he didn’t. “Eat up and try to get some sleep. I’ll be up to check on you soon.”

  Pierce left while Duncan finished eating. He took in the floor lamp in the corner and the wooden dresser pushed against the wall. Again, only sparse furnishings in a place that felt unfamiliar to him. After he put the tray on the table by the bed, he scooted down until he was lying flat on his back. Exhaustion was finally taking over. As he started to succumb to the fatigue, he wondered if he’d ever regain his memories, or if he’d be forced to make new ones.

  Chapter Three

  It wasn’t the homecoming Pierce had planned, but it was better than nothing. Seeing Duncan lying in a coma was the hardest thing he’d ever experienced, and he’d been through a lot in his life. Pierce had had visions of bringing Duncan home and the two getting reacquainted with each other as their bodies became one. Instead, Duncan was skittish and didn’t want Pierce to even touch him.

  Pierce understood and respected Duncan would need time—plus he was still injured—but he missed his husband. He missed touching him, kissing him, and being close to him. The stolen, unreturned kisses in the hospital as he begged Duncan to wake up weren’t enough.

  As he drove toward a town in the opposite direction from the hospital, Pierce thought about ways he could get Duncan to warm up to him. One idea formed in his mind, and he decided to make a pit-stop before going to the grocery store and pharmacy.

  At the edge of town, the shrill ringing of his phone broke through the silence of the car. Pushing a button on the console, he waited as the call was connected, and a deep voice came through the speaker.

  “Where are you?” the voice asked.

  “Running a few errands,” Pierce answered curtly.

  “Do you have what we need?”

  “Not yet. I have to try again tonight. The tip was wrong.”

  “I doubt it was wrong. It was probably you.”

  Pierce ground his teeth together and flexed his fingers around the steering wheel. “I’m never wrong. Do not doubt me.”

  “We’ll see about that. You have one more chance and you’re done. Do you hear me?”

  “And then what?” Pierce challenged.

  “Do you really want to go there? Need I remind you what happened to the last guy who didn’t do his job correctly?”

  “No need for the reminder. I’m the best, and you know it. It’s not my fault I was given a bad tip. You just worry about your job and let me do mine. And by the way, you might want to think before you call me again with idle threats. I don’t take kindly to them.”

  Pierce disconnected the call before anything else could be said to further piss him off. Rather than allow the brief conversation to ruin what could possibly be salvaged as a good day, he put the call behind him and continued on his trek to town.

  The stop he made before going to the store and pharmacy was brief, and he was able to purchase what he wanted with no issues. That had him feeling hopeful, and after dropping off Duncan’s prescriptions, he went to the grocery store to shop while he waited for the medicines to get filled.

  The car was loaded down with enough food to last them for at least a month, and by the time he went back to the pharmacy, the order was ready. Before heading home, he stopped by the electronics store to buy Duncan a new phone. While it was being set up, he and the sales rep chatted for a bit, and after making sure the phone was working to Pierce’s liking, he left to return home. Home. His husband was waiting there for him, and that thought had Pierce pressing his foot against the gas pedal just a little bit harder.

  Once he got back, Pierce unloaded the car and put the groceries away, even though he wanted to leave the bags on the floor and rush upstairs to check on Duncan. He needed to be patient; the only way to help Duncan warm up to him was to give him the gift he’d bought and remind him of the times they’d spent together.

  After the last bit of food was put away, Pierce grabbed the medicine bottles and a glass of water, along
with the present and new phone, before finally ascending the stairs. The door to the room was still slightly ajar, just as Pierce had left it, and when he entered, he saw Duncan lying on his side with his eyes closed. He debated whether to leave Duncan to sleep peacefully, but the pull to go inside their room was too strong.

  Walking to the bed, he slowly sat down and reached out a tentative hand to stroke it against Duncan’s cheek. The brief touch of his smooth skin had Pierce’s fingers tingling, but it also had Duncan blinking his eyes open. Pierce held his breath as Duncan blinked a few times. Duncan’s blue eyes were wild when he saw Pierce, and he shrank back in fear.

  “Honey, relax. It’s only me,” Pierce said softly as he scooted down the bed a little to give him some space.

  “Pierce?” he asked as he glanced around the room in confusion.

  “Yes, we’re back at home, remember?”

  Duncan closed his eyes and scrubbed his hand down his face with a light groan. “Right, of course. I’m sorry. I guess waking up somewhere other than the hospital confused me.”

  Pierce chuckled lightly, though it held no humor. “No need to apologize. I got your prescriptions and some other things.”

  Duncan slowly sat up and adjusted the pillows to lean back against them. “What other things?”

  “One thing at a time,” Pierce said, handing him the tablets from the prescription bottles.

  Duncan popped the pills in his mouth and washed them down with the water Pierce handed him. After taking one more sip, he set the glass back on the table. “My ankle and head were starting to hurt, so perfect timing.”

  “Great. So, are you ready for your present?” Pierce asked. He couldn’t mask the excitement in his voice, and Duncan gave him a brief, tentative smile.

  “I am.”

  “Close your eyes and hold out your hand.”

  Duncan looked at Pierce dubiously.

  “Go on,” Pierce urged. “No present until you close your eyes and hold out your hand.”

  Duncan sighed loudly but did as he was told. A few seconds later, Pierce produced the present from his pocket and slid the gold wedding ring on Duncan’s bare finger.

  Duncan’s eyes flew open, and he stared down at the band. “A wedding ring?”

  Pierce shrugged sheepishly. “I figured maybe having a ring back on your finger would help you. I know we were in the process of getting you a new one, but I decided there was no time like the present. Unless…were you wanting to be there with me to pick it out?”

  Duncan continued to stare at the piece of jewelry wrapped around his finger. He twisted his hand around, staring at the ring from all angles. “N-no. It looks like something I’d like. It just feels strange having it on my finger.”

  “You said the same thing on our wedding day, but you also said it was a good kind of strange.”

  “I’m sure I’ll get used to it. Thank you, Pierce. I appreciate how patient you’re being with me while I adjust.”

  “Of course I am. What kind of husband would I be if I wasn’t?” Duncan only shrugged as he bit his lip and looked away. “I also got you this.”

  Pierce reached behind him and produced the new cell phone.

  “I had the guy at the shop get it set up. So, you should be good to go.”

  Duncan’s eyes lit up, and he practically snatched the phone from Pierce’s grasp to flip through the menus. “This is great. Thank you for doing that for me.”

  “It was my pleasure,” Pierce told him.

  Pierce wanted to do what any other husband would do during that moment, he wanted to lean forward and kiss his husband. His body even swayed a little, as if it agreed with him that he needed to give it a try. But when Duncan looked up from the phone, Pierce could see the hesitation in his gaze.

  “There’s no Wi-Fi,” Duncan said, “and it doesn’t seem to have any signal.”

  Pierce frowned and pulled out his own phone to look at it. “That usually happens out here in the woods. It was almost a reason we didn’t buy the house, even though you fell in love with it. The internet is spotty at best, and it’s difficult to get a good signal out here sometimes. We must have a storm moving in.”

  “Then how am I supposed to call my friends?”

  “Give it time. I’m sure it’ll work in a little while. Until then, you get some rest. I have a laptop you can watch some DVDs on to keep you occupied.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “I have to go to work, honey.”

  “Work?” Duncan asked.

  “Yes. I work midnights in a factory. I usually crawl into bed a few hours before you wake up. It sucks because we barely see each other during the week, but we make up for it during the weekend,” Pierce explained with a wink.

  “Oh, well DVDs sound great.”

  Pierce couldn’t stop himself as he reached over and gently patted Duncan’s leg. The fact Duncan didn’t shift or shy away again had Pierce feeling marginally better. “Let me go grab them for you. Then I’ll go downstairs to do some work and try to take a nap.”

  He helped Duncan to the bathroom before setting him up with snacks and the DVDs, then Pierce left him to go back downstairs. The sun was starting to set by the time he went to the living room, and after looking over some important paperwork, he set his alarm and sprawled on the couch to catch a few hours of sleep.

  His alarm woke him with a start, and before leaving for work, he went upstairs to check on Duncan. The pain pills must’ve kicked in, because Duncan was sound asleep with the laptop playing a DVD beside him. Grabbing the laptop, he turned off the movie and set the device on the cluttered table beside the bed. Then, much like he had done in the hospital, he leaned over and gently placed his lips against Duncan’s.

  The kiss was light enough that Duncan didn’t stir, but the tingle of Pierce’s lips reassured him that it’d happened. Keeping the door slightly ajar, Pierce quietly made his way downstairs. As he drove down the driveway to work, leaving his husband sound asleep in their bed, Pierce had to fight the urge to turn back around so he could join Duncan. But as hard as it was, he kept going with the reassurance he’d be back home soon enough.

  Chapter Four

  Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

  The sound of feet heavily pounding against the pavement mingled with the loud pants of air that burst from his lungs.

  As he ran down the dark alley, sweat slickened his body, making the fabric of his t-shirt stick to his skin, and his chest heaved from exertion. But he refused to stop and catch his breath. The pain in his side was minute compared to the fear that spurred him on.

  Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

  Putting one foot in front of the other, he allowed the terror that coursed through his veins to be the driving force behind his feet. Tears streamed down his face, and his mouth as dry. His entire body was shaking from the run, and his feet were aching. But he couldn’t—wouldn’t—stop.

  Shadows danced sinisterly across the brick buildings on either side of him as he made his dash down the alleyway. Every little noise had him jumping, and every movement from the corner of his eye had him veering off his direct path a little. But he couldn’t be deterred. Not when he was so close to his destination.

  A streetlamp illuminated the end of the alley, casting a tiny bit of light, a beacon for him to find his way out. All he had to do was make it a few more steps…

  Duncan’s eyes snapped open as he let out a loud, choked gasp.

  “It was a dream.” He placed a hand to his chest, trying to calm his erratically beating heart. “It was only a dream.”

  Duncan rubbed one eye and then the other, and he was surprised to feel his cheeks were wet with tears. The strange ring on his finger scratched against his face, and Duncan jerked his hand away to look at the piece of metal. While he stared at it, wondering if it’d ever start to feel familiar to him, he noted how shaky his hand was. Balling it up into a fist, his clenched his fingers tightly. The dream had been so real.

  “Honey, are you awa
ke? I thought I heard y—” Pierce said from the doorway. “What’s wrong?”

  Duncan forced himself into an upright position and looked at Pierce. “Nothing,” he said with a shake of his head. “I just had a bad dream.”

  Pierce stepped farther into the room, and Duncan noted how tired he looked. “What kind of dream? Was it a memory of your accident?”

  “I’m not sure.” Duncan was still shaken up and didn’t want to think about it. “In the dream, I was running, but I didn’t recognize the location.”

  “Well, that makes sense.”

  Duncan frowned. “Really?” he asked, settling against the pillows.

  Pierce walked over to the bed and sat down beside him. “Yes, of course. You got hurt while running. So, it only makes sense for your subconscious to turn it into a nightmare.”

  “Yeah, I see your point.”

  It did make sense when Pierce put it that way. Duncan took a deep breath and slowly let it out, then did it two more times. Finally, he felt his body start to relax and his heart rate slow back to normal.

  “Are you okay now?”

  “I am, thank you. How was work?”

  Pierce shrugged. “Slow. How about I make you some breakfast?”

  “Don’t you need to get some sleep?”

  “Yes, but after I make sure my husband is settled first. How do bacon and eggs sound? You need some protein to get your strength back.”

  “That sounds great.”

  Pierce patted Duncan’s leg before standing to leave the room.

  The crutch Duncan had received from the hospital was leaning on the table between the wall and the bed, and the screaming of Duncan’s bladder had him grabbing it. He hadn’t tried walking on his own since he’d left the hospital, but he didn’t think he could wait for Pierce to return with his breakfast. Besides, the bathroom was only a few steps away, so he could manage it on his own, right?