Page 19 of Silent Fire

Noel held a steady glare on Tomas, but he saw deep hurt in the man’s eyes.

“You think that little of me, cabrón?” Tomas spit on the ground. “Chinga te.” Fuck you.

This was escalating too damn fast. Noel had seen men square off before, but these two weren’t just men. They were destruction waiting to happen. He remembered Tomas telling him he’d driven his claws through that hyena several times, and he didn’t want to witness it firsthand.

“Whoa.” Noel held his arms out, apparently developing a death wish by standing between two apex predators. The top of his head only reached their pecs. Swollen, muscled pecs. “Both of you chill the fuck out or I’ll kick both your asses. Ponme a prueba y descúbrelo.” Oh yeah. He’d definitely lost his ever-loving mind.

Tomas walked toward the other side of the parking lot, running his hand through his hair, as if pulling himself together. Noel had never gone to Brian after one of his angry outbursts, but Tomas wasn’t his ex.

Noel took a step, then another, closing the distance between them.

Chapter Six

The soft light of the early morning slid between the tree branches as Noel approached Tomas.

For the longest moment, they just stood there—Noel’s hands tucked into his back pockets, Tomas’s hanging loosely at his sides—staring past the chain-link fence, both lost in their own thoughts.

Tomas’s jaw worked, like he had something he wanted to say. Maybe he was chewing on the words, making sure they wouldn’t hurt. Usually, when Brian was that angry, Noel tried to make himself invisible. But Tomas wasn’t Brian. Noel had seen the deep regret flicker in his brown eyes. Something he’d never seen in his ex’s.

Noel wanted to reach out, maybe grab a sleeve or touch Tomas’s wrist, but the ghosts of earlier still hung around his ribs.

“I’m truly sorry, Noel.” Tomas raked a hand through his hair, each word laced with remorse. “I just…” He chewed on his bottom lip, staring at something beyond the fence. “There’s no excuse.”

“No, there’s not,” Noel agreed.

The warm wind kicked up a bit, rustling the leaves in the tree above them. They glanced up at the same time then away just as quickly. Lazy traffic hummed past on the street, nothing urgent, just the town stretching its arms awake.

“What that bastard did to you...” Tomas shook his head, nostrils flaring. “I never wanted you to feel unsafe with me. I just wanted to protect you.”

Noel glanced down, watching as a leaf skittered across the pavement, scraping lightly like a whisper. “It’s not you I’m afraid of.” Noel drew a fortifying breath, forcing the words past the lump in his throat. “It’s what rage like that can become if it’s not controlled. I’ve seen it twist a person into something...” He trailed off, shaking his head. “Into something monstrous.”

Tomas’s expression softened, that piercing gaze boring into Noel as if he could see straight through to the wounded parts he usually kept so carefully guarded. “With Brian, it was always walking on eggshells. Waiting for the next explosion, the next beating. I was so afraid all the time.”

Saying the words out loud made his chest ache with a hollow sort of grief. Noel had survived, had clawed his way free of that nightmare. But a piece of him would be forever marked by the trauma.

“That’s no way for anyone to live, cariño,” he murmured. “Flinching at every raised voice, waiting for the other shoe to drop.” He paused, seeming to consider his next words carefully. “My anger wasn’t directed at you, Noel. It never will be.”

The raw honesty in his tone hit Noel like a physical blow, stealing his breath. He searched that rugged face, seeking any hint of deception or empty platitudes. But all he found was raw sincerity and a bone-deep protectiveness that made something in his chest unfurl. “I know you’re not him.”

Tomas held his gaze, his eyes achingly tender. “You don’t ever have to be afraid again, little flower. Not with me.” He reached out, palm up in silent invitation. “I'll keep you safe, mi elegido. You have my word.”

Drawing a shuddering breath, Noel reached out and slid his hand into Tomas’s waiting grasp. Calloused fingers curled around his with infinite care, like he was something precious to be cherished. The simple contact sparked warmth that spread through Noel’s veins, calming the rabbiting of his heart.

“I’m tired of being afraid,” he said, the words emerging on a ragged exhale. “Tired of the violence, the anger, the constant looking over my shoulder. I just want peace, Tomas. A chance to breathe without dreading what’s waiting around the next corner.”

Noel held his intense gaze, willing him to understand.

Tomas’s throat worked, his jaw clenched so tightly the muscles jumped. But then his shoulders slumped, and he gave Noel’s hand a gentle squeeze.

“You’re right,” he rasped out. “I let my wolf get the better of me for a moment there.” His dark eyes shone with a complicated blend of emotions. “I’ve never wanted to tear someone apart so badly before. Seeing that ring, knowing that pendejo had been so close to you, set me off in a way I’ve never experienced…”

Noel waited, allowing Tomas to gather his composure. He could see the struggle playing out, the instinct to protect warring with the need to provide comfort.

Tomas released a slow breath, some of the tension bleeding from his shoulders.

“You have my word it won’t happen again,” he said gruffly. “You deserve to feel safe, not scared.”

“I do feel safe with you.” A small smile tugged at the corner of Noel’s mouth. He appreciated Tomas’s willingness to do better, to meet him halfway. With a featherlight caress of his thumb, he broke the tension. He stepped closer, into the circle of Tomas’s personal space, and rested his free hand over the steady thud of his heart. “You also make me feel brave enough to start healing, lobo. I think that’s the most precious gift anyone could give me right now.”

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