Page 4 of Silent Fire

He pulled the door almost shut, leaving a tiny gap to peek through just as a shadow appeared under the bedroom door.

The shadow stopped, and Noel heard someone sniffing, like they were trying to catch his scent.

After what happened last week, he wouldn’t be surprised if they were actually sniffing him out.

Noel really hoped it wasn’t those same guys coming back. He placed a hand over his mouth as the doorknob turned slowly, like something out of a horror movie.

The bedroom door opened the same time as Noel gently closed the closet door. Someone was moving around the room, no longer bothering to hide their footsteps.

“Come on out, human. I just want to say hi.”

Noel was panting so hard he felt lightheaded. Human. That meant the man wasn’t. Noel stepped back without thinking, bumping into plastic hangers on the rod. They clattered softly.

Shit!

“Did you find something?” another voice asked. Noel’s eyes went wide. There were two of them! Were they the same men he’d spotted last week?

Why hadn’t he run the second he’d noticed those glowing eyes and sharp teeth?

Now it was too late.

Something told him these men wouldn’t be as understanding as Tomas and his buddies.

You should’ve just stayed at the tavern. The story of his life. If there was a choice to be made, he always seemed to pick the wrong one.

The closet door flew open, and Noel froze, too terrified to scream as he stared at the two men he’d seen in the front yard a week ago.

“Guess this place isn’t as empty as we thought,” said the one whose eyes had glowed, smirking.

The other guy, the one who’d had sharp teeth, looked Noel up and down. “Scrawny thing. I’ve seen raccoons bigger than him.”

Anger tried to flare, but it was swallowed by his terror.

Glowing Eyes reached out to grab him, but Noel instinctively slapped his hand away.

“He’s feisty.” Sharp Teeth grinned. “I was just about to suggest we kill him and bury him out back, but I like his fire.”

Glowing Eyes reached for him again, and Noel came out swinging. He’d fought bigger men before, like when his ex-boyfriend decided to start using his fist instead of words.

Before Brian, Noel had to fight off his stepdad, who was more beer belly than brawn. But fighting two men at once? That was new.

Noel was throwing punches at one while kicking at the other. Whatever they were planning, he wasn’t going down easy.

Glowing Eyes simply laughed, but Sharp Teeth growled like he was part animal.

Noel ducked and tried to use his short stature to slip past them. He wasn’t fast enough. One of them snatched Noel’s hair and yanked him back, slamming him into the wall.

Bouncing off of it, Noel punched Glowing Eyes right in the nuts.

“Son of a bitch!” the guy yelled, cupping himself and dropping to his knees. Noel tried to make a break for it again, only for Sharp Teeth to tackle him to the floor.

“Get off me!” Noel shouted as Sharp Teeth climbed up his body then pinned him down.

“Gotta admit, didn’t see that coming.” He panted in Noel’s ear. “You’re scrappy for a little guy.” The bastard dug his nails into Noel’s scalp and jerked his head back. “But you’re fighting for nothing. I’m not a fucking creep. Wasn’t gonna do anything pervy to you.”

“Except murder me,” Noel shot back, even though he seriously needed to keep his mouth shut. Then again, if they were gonna kill him, why stay quiet?

Glowing Eyes, red in the face, and still cupping his balls, glared at Noel. “I’m going to enjoy gutting you.”

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