Page 6 of Specter

Duke had no such fear. His long stride made the space between them vanish. He scooped Noah into his arms.

“Oh, my god. It is you.” Noah kissed his face and neck. Anywhere he could reach. “How are you alive? I saw Ted shoot you. How are you here?”

Duke lifted Noah from the floor and held him as tightly as possible. Noah’s arms and legs wrapped around him. His gaze shot desperately around the room. They needed a quiet place to go. Noah had thought he was dead, and Duke’s mind was a mess. He just wanted to hold his baby and never let go. So much bad had happened to Noah, and Duke had spent too much time thinking about every warning sign he had missed. He needed to fix everything. Duke had to give Noah the life he should have before Ted stole everything.

His blond escort still stood nearby, wiping his eyes on the sly. He met Duke’s gaze and waved for him to follow. Duke headed that way. Tommy moved to a darkened alcove and made sure no one watched before sliding away a hidden panel, revealing an elevator. He pushed the button, and the door slid open. After Duke stepped inside, Tommy leaned in and pushed a button for the third floor. Then he met Duke’s stare and held up four fingers. The door closed before Duke could ask what that meant. The elevator moved upward while Noah silently cried against his neck. He felt the tears soaking his skin. When the door opened again, he found himself staring at a wall. He noticed a metal lever and pulled. The wall slid away, revealing a hallway of doors. He immediately spotted one with a four on it. Duke headed that way. Unfortunately, it was locked.

“Is this your room, baby?”

Noah leaned away long enough to look. His face was a wet, splotchy mess. He was still the most beautiful man Duke had ever seen. Noah glanced at the door.

“Yeah.” His voice shook. “Hold on. I have the key.” While Duke held him, Noah unzipped his pajamas. A key was pinned to the inside. Duke fought a smile at the sight. It seemed someone had been trying to teach him to stay safe and not lose things. A wave of sadness hit Duke like a tsunami. Noah deserved to be safe. Everyone had failed him. Duke never would again.

Noah unlocked the door and Duke carried him inside. He barely spared a glance for the upscale bedroom. It was obvious no expense had been spared for the entire place. Duke didn’t give a shit about anything except Noah. He moved to the closest chair and sat with Noah straddling his lap. They stared at each other. Noah’s gaze moved over Duke’s features as if he still tried to convince himself Duke was real. Duke couldn’t look away from the baby blue eyes that had stolen his heart.

“I kept waiting for you to come home.”

“You were dead,” Noah whispered, as if he still feared Duke would disappear. “I saw Ted shoot you, and then I heard the second shot. I was too scared to look back. If Ted had caught me…”

Noah didn’t need to finish. Duke had gone over the night a million times in his head. He had imagined every nightmare scenario that could have come to pass.

“Are you a ghost?”

Duke shook his head. “Unless you’ve moved on, that is. If you’re happy here and you’ve found a new life, then I can go back to being the grumpy specter that haunts our ranch.”

Noah stroked Duke’s face, wiping away tears Duke hadn’t known were falling.

Duke’s throat tightened. He couldn’t force his voice above a whisper. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere. From the moment I was released from the hospital, I never stopped searching. How did you get so far away?”

“My car collection. I sold it and kept taking buses until I made it here. Then I hung on until the money ran out. I spent some time trying to hold down a job until Benji found me.”

“Who’s Benji?”

“Benji Dreco. He owns this house. Well, his husband Silas does. I guess they both do.” He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. I’ve died every day without you.”

Another tear slid down Duke’s cheek. “You should’ve known I wouldn’t let anything take me away from you. I’m sorry it took me so long to track you down. It took me a while to heal enough to even get started.”

Noah fell forward and cuddled against Duke’s chest. “I don’t care about any of that. You’re here. I didn’t think I’d get to hold you like this again. What if I wake up? I’ve dreamed I’ve had you back before. The next morning always kills me when that happens. I’m tired of dying.”

“I’m real. I swear.” Duke stroked Noah’s back. He couldn’t stop. Time passed without them. Duke didn’t care if it was hours or days. In fact, he didn’t care if he ever moved again. As his hand slid down the stuffed tail of the dinosaur costume, Duke shook his head. “You’re in footed pajamas again. Did you get tired of being a big boy?”

He felt Noah smile against his neck. “I’ve always hated being a big boy. It’s too hard. But I’m wearing my big boy underwear.” Noah excitedly sat back on his heels and unzipped his outfit, revealing a pair of black underwear.

“Black. Very masculine. I’m proud of you.”

A bright smile lit Noah’s face. It disappeared as quickly as it appeared. “You shouldn’t be proud of me. It’s my fault. Ted hurt you because of me. I’ve had to know that every day.”

Duke thought his chest might cave. His anger over the things Ted had done never lessened. He wanted to shoot him in the face again. Killing him once hadn’t been enough. “It’s not your fault. You didn’t do anything wrong. Ted is the only one to blame.” And Noah’s mother, but that was a conversation for when Noah started therapy. “Neither of us deserved what happened, but you, most especially. I should’ve saved you. I shouldn’t have let you tell me no every time I asked you to run away with me. It was obvious Ted hurt you. I just didn’t know the extent of it. If I had known… if I hadn’t been so goddamn blind…”

Noah covered Duke’s mouth with his hands. “Stop. How could you have known? Ted was sick. Normal people don’t think like him. I should’ve told you. I should’ve told anyone at all, but my own mom didn’t keep me safe. It was too much to hope anyone else would rescue me. I just wasn’t strong enough to fight.” Noah’s shoulders fell. He looked more defeated than any man should. His gaze locked on his hands, which were pressed against Duke’s chest. “Tell me what happened after I ran.”

That was the last thing Duke wanted to do. Right now, Noah was just happy to know he was alive. Duke didn’t want to have to tell him he wasn’t whole. “It’s somewhat of a blur.”

Noah’s gaze lifted and met Duke’s stare. “Please?”

Duke couldn’t deny him. “All I could think about was saving you.” That was the best place to start. “I knew I couldn’t let him leave that barn. I couldn’t die before he did, or he might...” Duke shook his head. “There was so much blood and pain. I was angry and scared. If I fell, I knew you’d be next. Rage, or hell, maybe it was just adrenaline kept me moving. Either way, once you were clear, I pounced. I heard another shot, and my entire body was on fire, but I just couldn’t let go. I couldn’t stop fighting. Then I was holding the gun, and he seemed to just give up. He was crying and begging for you. I had my cellphone. I could’ve called for help right then. He was helpless without that gun.” Duke swallowed. He hadn’t lied. Most of that night was a blur, but some parts he recalled with a clarity that frightened him. “I couldn’t stop hearing the sick way he spoke to you. I couldn’t stop seeing the way he practically salivated at the idea of having you.” Duke held Noah’s stare. “There was no way I could let him leave that barn. I couldn’t risk him ever having another shot at you. So I pulled the trigger.”

For a long and nerve-wracking moment, Noah stared at him without saying a word. Finally, he blinked, as if coming back to himself. “It’s like learning the devil is dead.” He sounded as if the words were meant more for himself than Duke. “I’ve been so sick and scared for the last year, expecting him to appear around every corner.”

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