Page 28 of Midnight Rain

“How have you been?” Austin went to the window and looked out, but all he saw were trees. What did he expect, to find Jaycee standing in the middle of the lawn like Michael Myers?

“My back is acting up again. I swear those doctors are quacks. It seems nothing they try works for my pain. It’s like they’re throwing darts to find out what else they can recommend.”

Austin gritted his teeth. “I’m sorry to hear that. I hope you feel better soon. By the way, did you give my phone number to anyone while I’ve been gone?”

He hated playing these games with her, always had. Too many times Austin wished his mother was more like Paloma, but that was like wishing that the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow was real.

“One of your coworkers came by,” she said casually. “Such a sweet man. He was so polite. He said he had to contact you about some mix-up with a shipment of really expensive product and would get fired if he didn’t get you to straighten the issue out right away. He said he couldn’t find your number in your employee file and that’s why he had to come by in person.”

Austin clenched his eyes closed. “Did he give you a name?”

“Jayce,” she said. “Or was it Jay?”

“Did it ever occur to you to call me first?”

“Why would it?”

He was so angry right now that tears burned behind his eyes. “You just gave my stalker my phone number,” he said between clenched teeth.

“That sweet man?” She clucked her tongue. “I told you that you were overreacting. Why would a man stalk you?”

“Because I’m gay, Mom! Because he’s a psychopath who threatened to kill me!”

“Have you lost your mind?” she asked angrily. “Since when do you scream at me?”

Her giving a complete stranger her son’s phone number was the last straw. Something snapped inside of him, and Austin no longer cared, because she sure as hell didn’t.

“Your world isn’t the perfect place you’ve created in your head. Your son’s life is in danger, and you just gave the guy my phone number. What is wrong with you?”

Austin couldn’t hold back his tears. He swiped them from his eyes, cut deeply by her refusal to see him, to hear him, to accept who he was. She would rather get her son killed than believe there were some very deranged people out there.

“Watch your tone, Austin.”

“If they find my body, maybe you’ll finally get your head out of your ass.” He hung up and threw his phone across the room, too angry to care and too terrified to read the text. Did it really matter anyway? Jaycee had his number.

Austin threw his head back and screamed then collapsed on the bed.

His door swung open, Orion staring wide-eyed at him. Austin covered his face and cried, unable to keep his emotions in check any longer. Anyone would buckle under this kind of immense strain.

“Austin? What’s wrong?”

All Austin could do was shake his head. He’d finally felt safe at Cormac’s, but his mom had snatched that rug right out from under him. Now Jaycee had a shot at finding him.

The bed dipped as Orion sat next to him, sliding an arm around Austin’s shoulders. “Do you want to talk, or I could get my mom.”

Austin looked up at the ceiling. “There’s no way to escape him.”

“Are you talking about Cormac? Did he say something wrong to you?”

This could not be Austin’s life. He pressed the heel of his hands against his eyes. “He’s going to end up killing me, and my mom doesn’t give a shit.”

“Austin, you’re scaring me. Who are you talking about? Who’s going to kill you?”

His head was pounding so hard it felt like his skull was cracking open. Austin just shook his head, staring at the wall in front of him. As much as he wanted to believe Cormac could help him, Jaycee was a cunning, resourceful, nutjob that wasn’t going to stop until he took Austin’s life.

Orion got up and left the room. Austin barely noticed. His thoughts were racing through his head way too fast. It didn’t matter if he changed his number or left town. Sooner or later Jaycee would find him.

It was only a matter of time.

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