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His phone buzzed as the kettle heated.
From: BarrettDamn kids. Lighting fireworks near brush piles, like that shit won’t catch on fire. I should be back up soon.
Ambrose grinned. Maybe he should greet Barrett shirtless, kiss him hard just as he entered the tower. Encourage his boyfriend to slide his hands over his body, beg for Barrett to kiss his neck, suck on his nipples. Ambrose shifted, restless. It was a nice daydream and he hoped Barrett would be in the mood.
From: BarrettAre you okay? These kids are telling me someone gave them the fireworks. Paid them to set them off. I found a bunch of cut trees nearby, too. Fuck, I’m being paranoid.
Outside came a thump. Distant, muffled, but distinct against the soft breeze and the sound of Dandi snoring.
Strange.
But Barrett had heard a few odd noises in the night two days ago. Ambrose was instantly on alert, scooting closer to the corner where Barrett had told him a baseball bat was stashed. He found it lying at the bottom of a footlocker, under a few spare, tattered blankets.
Just in case, he told himself. It was daylight and lovely outside and there was nothing to worry about this high up.
Right?
He quickly texted Barrett back, assuring him he was all right but letting him know there was an odd noise.
From: BarrettI’ll be back as soon as I can. Get the bat from the footlocker and make sure Dandi’s close. Just in case. I love you.
He wanted to weep with how sweet that man was, but it pushed and pulled with the worry in his gut. And his hackles were raised, as were Dandi’s. Her big head was swiveling to and fro, brown eyes tracking to Ambrose every few seconds, as if she were waiting on his command. “It’s all right, girl,” he crooned, coming to sit beside her on the floor. Her tail thunked against the worn floorboards. Her velvety head under his palm, her warm breath on his arm, and he breathed in time with her.
There were no more strange noises and slowly Ambrose relaxed. He leaned against the wall, his hand stroking Dandi’s back, and closed his eyes. An untold amount of time passed, the breeze lulling him into a hazy kind of sleep.
Shadows settled across his face. The sun slowly sank into the horizon.
Ambrose was warm and comfortable, almost on the edge of too hot. But he didn’t want to move, not with Dandi’s soft, short fur under his palm and his mind floating. The quiet seeping into his bones, his worries melting away.
But another noise startled him awake untold minutes or hours later.
Thump
Thump
Thump
Dandi was on her feet immediately and the growl she let out had Ambrose scrambling for the bat. He was sweating and breathing hard, could feel his shirt sticking to his back. He wanted to pull at the neck of his t-shirt but it felt like wasted movement.
Fuck. Fuck.
Thump
Thump
Crack
In his mind, Ambrose imagined a giant tree being felled somewhere deep in the forest, its death knell echoing for miles.If a tree falls, how far out can you hear it?
But Dandi was having none of his speculation. She barked and growled, dashing for the door and then turning back to almost yell at Ambrose. As if to say,Get your ass moving, human. Ambrose shot to his feet, barely able to grab the bat in his sweaty hands, and flung open the door.
They pounded down the stairs, driven by instinct and fear. Dandi’s growls were the stuff of nightmares, as if she were the long lost descendant of Cerberus himself, and willing to protect what was hers. No matter the cost.
More thumps came, and the sound of splintering wood echoed around them. His skin was on fire, whatever danger near them driving him to run faster.
His gaze swung wildly, trying to watch his footing while they fled, unknown and unseen fear driving them down to the ground. And as they neared the first story landing, Ambrose looked up to see a massive tree crash into the roof of the tower.
Glass rained down on them and he dove for Dandi. He had to protect her. She was Barrett’s. She was precious. And he wouldn’t let her get hurt.
