Page 60 of New Year

“Yeah. I do.”

“Do you believe that Austin might target you? Now that he knows you’re still in Reynolds?”

“Yes, I do.” Nat sobbed once. “But he’s smart. Calculating. If he suspects I’ve told anyone about the things he did to me, he knows he’d be the number one suspect if anything happens to me. Since I haven’t blasted him on social media, there’s a chance he’ll just…let it go. Move on.”

“Except men like him don’t let things go, not when you’re the one who left him.”

“Yeah, there’s that.” Nat’s eyes unfocused briefly, then he snapped his head back, as if startled by his own thoughts. “I left, and Austin has nothing to threaten me with to make me go back to him. Not family, not a public-facing job, and I don’t give a shit about the porn that’s out there. I would never have agreed to do it if I was ashamed of it. His only leverage is you.”

Zack frowned. “Me?” Then it clicked. “You said he threatened to hurt Angelo if you didn’t dump him.”

“He did, and I believe he would have. What if he finds out I’m with you, and he does something? What if he blows up River Bistro?” Nat was shaking all over now, his eyes wide and panicked, and that dinged Zack’s protective instincts.

He pulled Nat close and hugged him tight, all his earlier fury re-focusing into comforting Nat. Giving him all the strength he could so Nat would believe his words. “I can handle a guy like Austin. Please, don’t make yourself sick worrying about that. River Bistro will be fine, I promise.”

“You can’t promise that.”

“Maybe not, but I’m promising anyway. I’ll keep you safe.”

“What about when I’m out with Chase?”

“North Carolina is an open carry state. If you can legally buy a gun, you can carry it.”

“I’ve never held a gun before in my life. Not even a BB gun.”

“Then I’ll buy you a Taser. Pepper spray. You’ll have weapons. And if Austin makes any attempt at contacting you, I’ll set him straight on why that’s a very bad idea.”

Nat sat up so fast he nearly clipped Zack’s chin with the top of his head. “No, Zack, I couldn’t stand it if you got in trouble because of me.”

“If I get in trouble for handing Austin his ass, it’ll be his fault, not yours. I can’t do anything about all the things he did to you in the past. But can I fucking well do something to keep him from hurting you in the future. I’ll even get doorbell cameras and exterior cameras for the house, so you and Chase are safe when you’re here at home.” Zack clasped Nat’s twitching hands and held them close to his own heart. “I have strong feelings for you, Nathaniel. I’m scared to call it love, because we’ve only known each other a few weeks, but it’s strong. And warm and wonderful. I want to go to sleep with you and wake up with you, and to share meals with you. I want you in my life, and I will do everything in my power to keep you safe.”

Nat’s eyes glimmered with more tears. “I feel the same way. The night we met, it was like meeting an old, old friend again. We were strangers, but we knew each other. And I want to keep you safe, too. Safe from Austin and his bullshit revenge ideas. I don’t know what I’d do if he hurt you.”

“Since we seem to be on the same page about keeping each other safe and exacting revenge, I have a proposition.”

“Okay.”

“I propose we live our lives.” Nat opened his mouth, and Zack pressed a gentle finger to his lips. “We live our lives, and we take precautions. We arm ourselves, but we do not live in fear. We live carefully, but we live. If Austin does something, we will deal with it together. But Nat? He has already taken so much from you. Don’t let him make you live in fear. Don’t give him your joy.”

Nat’s eyes went liquid and his lower lip trembled. “You’re right. Austin gets nothing else from me. Neither of us lives in fear. Deal?”

Zack pressed his lips to Nat’s in a tender, promise-affirming kiss. “Deal.”

CHAPTERFOURTEEN

Zack was true to his word about upping security at the house, and with each new camera or precaution they implemented, the more Nat relaxed and believed they’d be okay. Nat hated the idea of carrying a gun around—he couldn’t imagine himself ever shooting another human being, even in self-defense—so he put pepper spray on his keys, and he kept a Taser in Chase’s car. He was careful to take different routes to the same places, and he no longer ran errands alone. If Chase or Zack weren’t available, he reached out to Sasha as an errand buddy.

It was amazing having another friend who had his back. And he had hers.

Nat also wasn’t hiding anymore, because hiding gave Austin power over his life. He and Zack went to Tim’s a few times, just to share drinks and bar snacks, and because they were fucking dating. He wasn’t going to let Austin steal the joy of dating a wonderful, supportive, generous man who treated Nat like a human being, rather than a sex toy.

July inched closer to August in a trail of stifling hot temperatures that made being outdoors unbearable. Nat still occasionally dashed into Neighborhood Shindig for food, but even with the pavilion fans moving air, it was still too thick for his comfort. A tropical storm watch had everyone battening down the hatches all over town. They ended up with a lot of rain and wind and scattered tree branches in the yard, but no serious damage.

Chase was in good spirits and good health, and he was spending more time at his restaurants than brooding at home, which was both good and bad for Nat. If Chase was at work, it gave Nat free time. Free time meant options for what Nat did and where he went, which also made him a target for Austin. It became a delicate balancing act of being in the world and protecting himself from harm.

So far, so good.

And the frequent, attentive, blissful sex that Nat and Zack had on a regular basis was another wonderful bonus. He’d half-expected Zack to dump him after learning about the online porn and pay-to-play shit Nat had participated in, but Zack hadn’t. He’d proved himself the most patient, understanding person on the planet by not judging Nat.

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