Page 14 of Destined Prey
The last thing he needed was to deal with anyone asking him to explain something he didn’t understand. He never got sick. It was his shifter constitution. Most of the illnesses humans were susceptible to weren’t a danger to shifters.
So what was happening to him? Ben wished he knew.
Chapter Nine
“You were making out with that guy?” Rhett asked. Jack ducked his head.
Greg cleared his throat. “Uh, well, now that you’ve found him, I’ll just, er, go inside.”
Jack waited until Greg did just that, then started walking, pushing past Rhett and heading for the entrance of the alley. “Back off, Rhett. I’m not a kid, and I’m certainly not a virgin in need of protecting.”
Rhett rumbled unhappily as he followed. For a minute or so, he didn’t speak. When they reached the sidewalk, Rhett grabbed at Jack’s arm. “This is just normal for you? You just hook up with every guy that makes a move on you? Is this what you were like in New York?”
Jack spun around, yanking himself out of reach. He glared at Rhett. “So what if I was? What if I fucked every guy that was interested? What business is it of yours? Or are you jealous?”The instant the bitchy question escaped him, Jack regretted it, especially as he saw Rhett recoil, thanks to the streetlight. The sight gutted him. Hurting Rhett was the last thing he’d ever wanted, and yet the words had slipped out like poison. Shame curdled in his gut, bitter and hot, and he hated himself for lashing out when what he wanted most was to hold onto the only person who’d never abandoned him. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for. It really was.”
Rhett shook his head, lips twisted in disgust, and walked around Jack. His quick strides made it almost impossible for Jack to catch up to him before they reached the truck.
“Rhett, come on. We’re both being assholes,” Jack said, almost running into Rhett when Rhett stopped.
With his back to Jack, Rhett hunched his shoulders. “Maybe Iamjealous.”
Jack gently touched his brother’s shoulder. “Hey, don’t be. I’ve only been with a few guys, and the last one…” God, he hated to talk about Alex, but after the hateful thing he’d just said to Rhett, Jack owed him the truth. “His name is Alex, and he wasn’t a good person.”
Rhett stiffened and turned to Jack. “Your side?” he asked, eyes gleaming with anger. “He did that, didn’t he?”
“I didn’t want to tell you, because one, I hadn’t come out to you, and two, if you ever met Alex, you’d think, how did my brother let some little twit like that push him around?” Jack shook his head and scoffed. “I just did. The first time, I was too stunned to do more than stand there when he slapped me. Couldn’t believe this little guy—who was every stereotype of a gay man that you see on TV and such—would do such a thing. But he did, and he was sorry, every time.”
“How long were you with him?” Rhett curled his hands into fists.
Jack could read the anger coming off him in waves. “Right at a year. I’d just moved in with him about a month before this happened.” He touched his side. “I spent a lot of time wondering why I put up with his shit, and I think…I think I just got stuck in a rut. I mean, when Alex was happy, he was great. Sweetest guy ever. When he drank, though, he got mean, and the next day, he was hung over and sorry. I stayed with him because I figured I’d already invested a year of my life in him. Stupid. Stupid thing to do. Stupid reason to stay.” Even saying it out loud, Jack felt small, like Alex had whittled him down to nothing. The bruise on his side had faded some, but the bruise on his pride, on his heart, was still tender to the touch. Standing there with Rhett glowering on his behalf, though, made something in Jack loosen. Safe. That was what it felt like. He hadn’t felt that in a long time.
Rhett opened his hands and shook them out. “Do you still love him?”
Jack cocked his head to one side. “No, I don’t think I ever did. He was bright and shiny and fun, except for when he wasn’t. I wanted to love him, desperately, but I couldn’t. That’s what the last fight was about. He asked me why I never said I love you, and I told him I couldn’t when he acted like he did. You’d think he’d have wanted to talk about that. Instead, he got drunk and shoved me down the stairs to our place. His place. Not mine.”
“Jesus, Jack. He coulda killed you!” Rhett yelled as he reached for Jack.
Jack was pulled into his brother’s strong arms. “He didn’t, and he won’t bother me ever again, or I’ll press charges like the police wanted me to.” Jack didn’t mention the calls or texts. If he ignored them, Alex would give up. He sure wouldn’t come out to the ranch, not that he knew where it was anyway.
“I don’t care. I want to go break him in half.” Rhett cursed softly under his breath. “Fuck if I care he’s skinny and little orwhatever. If I ever see that son of a bitch, he’s gonna regret ever laying a finger on you.”
Jack, much to his horror, felt tears burning his eyes. No matter how hard he tried to blink them back, they escaped down his cheeks.Shit. Shit! Just what I need to do—break down in the parking for anyone to see!
“Come on,” Rhett urged. “Let’s get out of here.” He didn’t release Jack fully, keeping one arm around his shoulders. “There’s not a thing wrong with crying, but I don’t think you want everyone in town knowing about it.”
“No.” Jack let Rhett open the truck door for him. He got in and buckled up. Rhett joined him seconds later, and by the time they were pulling out onto the road, Jack had himself together. “Sorry,” he rasped. “I don’t know why I lost it like that.”
“You had to keep all that inside,” Rhett offered. “Plus the whole being gay part. I know how hiding that from you made me feel. It’s been a couple of emotional days for us. Add in the attack at the ranch and—” He glanced at Jack, and smiled just a little. “And having a hot and heavy make-out session with a handsome stranger. Probably got you all jumbled up inside.” He stopped at a light. “You know, I’ve heard people get stuck in a cycle of abuse—”
“Not happening,” Jack interrupted. “I never let someone treat me like that before Alex, and I won’t tolerate it again. There were other things going on that made me vulnerable, I guess. Got demoted at work because it was that or be laid off. Lost my apartment, which is why I moved in with Alex against my better judgment. I just haven’t been happy in New York the last couple of years. I…I missed you. I missed home.” The words cost him more than admitting Alex had hit him. Admitting he missed Rhett, missed this land, meant admitting how badly he’d needed what he’d run from. His voice cracked, and he hated that, but he couldn’t take it back. He wouldn’t. Now came the big, scaryquestion. Jack was going to have to grow a pair and ask it before he could chicken out. “Do you think I could stay?”
“Of course you can stay,” Rhett answered immediately. “Jack, the Double T is your home, too.”
“I didn’t used to think it was,” Jack admitted. “Didn’t seem like it was the kind of place for a gay man to live, but now…I just want to be safe. I want to be home.”
“Youaresafe,” Rhett assured him. “Only thing we’ve got to watch out for is wolves and coyotes and those hybrid bastards they’ve let loose on us. Coywolves are wilier than either of the species that made them.”
“I don’t want to have to shoot any of them. Could we maybe see about having someone come out to the ranch and catch them for relocation?” Jack crossed his fingers, then uncrossed them and wiped at his cheeks. He felt so much more at ease, though something odd was aching in his psyche, and he couldn’t pinpoint what or why that was. The emotional upset he’d just been run over by didn’t explain it.
