Jett: -shocked face emoji-
Arlo: -eggplant and water drops emoji-
Jin: You sent me a dick pic and I told you I’m not interested. I have standards
Jett laughed and checked the time. Another five minutes had passed, and still no sign of Harrison.
Jett: Harrison is still outside so I’m going to rescue him. I’m worried the bigfoot got him.
Jin: August Snow is in Nova Scotia?
The thump of boots on the porch steps was loud in the quiet, and Jett let out a breath. Harrison had perfect timing; he needed a distraction, or he was going to use up his phone battery.
He dropped his phone on the couch and got up to help Harrison carry the wood inside. The door opened, bringing in a huge gust of wind that blew out the majority of the candles, plunging him into darkness once more.
“Shit!” Jett raced to the kitchen to find the lighter. “Harrison, close the door before all the candles go out.”
He flicked the lighter on and started lighting the nearest candles, shivering from the cold air sweeping in.
When the door remained open and Harrison continued to stand in the doorway, a throb of warning deep inside his core brought Jett to a stop. All the blood in his veins turned to ice, and with a sickening realization—he knew he was in danger.
His hand was steady when he set the lighter on the counter and directed his attention to the person standing in his doorway. It was too dark to make out their face, but it wasn’t Harrison. This person was shorter than his boyfriend, and he was wearing more gear than a winter coat.
“Who are you?” Jett asked even as his throat started spasming with fear.
The person stepped inside, prowling forward like a wolf ready to pounce and tear flesh. The orange glow from the dying fire was just enough to illuminate the face of the intruder, and Jett felt his heart plummet to his feet.
“Don’t recognize me?” Mike asked, giving Jett a smile that showed too many teeth. His eyes were filled with rage, and all that rage was pointed at Jett. “Fucking cunt. You always did think you were better than me.”
“Mi-Mike?” Jett had entered the state of fight or flight, but even with his heart galloping in his chest hard enough to rattle his teeth, a strange calmness was creeping through him. “Why are you here? Where’s Harrison?”
“That homo cripple?” Mike shrugged, and the movement snagged Jett’s attention, drawing it to the axe he was holding in his hand. “I cracked his head open and left him in the snow.”
No.
No.
“You’re lying.” There was a kitchen island between them. He might have enough time to run for the back door. He knew where Harrison was; he just had to get to him. “You wouldn’t kill anyone—not when you would end up in jail.”
Mike raised the axe and brought it down on the island counter, splitting the marble with a loud crack. “You get three meals and a roof over your head in jail. That’s not a bad deal, and I’ll have memories of us to keep me happy until my dad gets me out.”
Jett hadn’t reacted to the axe, but he did react to Mike’s words. “Memories? Us?”
There was a sinister tilt in Mike’s smile, and Jett understood too well what was about to happen to him. He had felt the same way when Mike pinned him to the wall at the Windsor Arena and threatened to force his cock into his mouth to shut him up.
“You’re my friend,” said Jett, and although the sting was muted by every other emotion running through him, he still felt it. “Why do you want to hurt me?”
Mike barked a chilling laugh that had his hair standing on end. “Because thinking about hurting you helps get me off. This is your fault, Jetty. If you hadn’t started giving me attitude when I was the one whomade you, then I wouldn’t have given this night so much thought.”
“Attitude?”
Could he reach a knife? Would he be able to stab Mike hard enough to kill him before he brought the axe down?
“When did I give you attitude?”
Mike yanked the axe out of the counter, not taking his eyes off him. “Talking back to me during our game and running your mouth in front of my teammates. Not taking orders when I gave them to you, and then you put that fuckingrestraining orderon me.”
Mike took a step, but Jett held his ground.
