Page 2 of Nitro

Hicks widened his smile, a sinister expression that made my skin crawl, as if he knew a secret that I didn’t.

He stepped closer, his bright blue eyes glued into mine.

"Didn't you know, Tommy?" he whispered. "I'm never, ever letting you go. You belong to me. Forever."

I gasped awake, my heart racing, and the transition from the nightmare was abrupt.

Without realizing it, I fell face down on the carpeting, my palms pressing into the rough fabric.

The sensation of the floor beneath me was a stark contrast to the cold, damp cell I had just escaped in my dream.

Groaning, I pushed myself up and sat back on my heels. I blinked several times to make sure I wasn't still trapped in that dank and dark place.

Sunlight streamed in through the windows of my older brother Marc's apartment, warming my face and bathing the room in a soft, golden glow.

My gaze wandered around the familiar surroundings, taking in Marc's worn-down furniture, the comforting sight reminded me I was back in the real world.

The nightmare faded, and I grounded myself.

Then I took a deep breath and forced myself to remember that I was alive and free. The past could no longer touch me.

Inhaling the warm air of the apartment, I willed the remaining fear to dissipate.

Just as I started to regain my composure, the sound of footsteps pulled my attention.

In walked Marc, still in his pajamas, the dark circles under his eyes and his disheveled hair evidence of a restless night.

His gaze shifted from me in my shirt and boxers, to the messy couch with its disheveled pillows and blankets, and then landed on the television I'd left on the night before.

"Couldn't sleep?" he asked.

I tried to shrug off the unease the dream had left behind.

"Just old nightmares," I replied, my voice steadier than I felt inside.

Marc's concerned gaze bore into me, and I couldn't help but inwardly groan.

I knew exactly what he was going to say next, and I had been anticipating this conversation for a while.

He was going to suggest that I put off moving into my new apartment in Moon Burrow because he thought I wasn't ready.

I steeled myself for an argument. Too many years of my life had been stolen and I spent those years, following someone else’s orders.

Hicks stripped me of my own will and imposed his own.

I was more than ready to step out into the world again, to learn how to stand on my own two feet.

Moving into that new apartment was a symbol of reclaiming my life, and I couldn't allow fear or hesitation to hold me back any longer.

“Tommy,” Marc began. “Maybe you should stay with me a little while longer. Just a month or two.”

I had another reason for wanting to live on my own. It was to get to know a certain biker bear a little better.

Marc liked to hover, and while I appreciated his intentions, he needed to give me some room to breathe as well.

I sighed, genuinely grateful for my overprotective brother but I wasn’t going to change my mind.

"Marc, I appreciate everything you've done for me, but I need to do this on my own. It's time for me to spread my wings,” I said.

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