by Christi Snow
He hadn’t had time to come in here after dinner, but now he perused the shelves with interest, grinning when he spotted some of Robert McIntyre’s hardbacks. Mac would be happy to know he was represented well here. But Stig had already read all of Mac’s books, so he moved on. LGBTQ titles were well-represented on the shelves, and after looking at several of them, Stig settled on Training Season by Leta Blake.
With book and mug of coffee in hand, Stig headed back up the stairs to the sitting area he’d spotted earlier and settled in for the night.
He hadn’t even been there thirty minutes when he heard the distinctive scraping sound of someone in the hall unlocking their door, but from this distance, it was hard to know if it was Ryder’s door or not. Stig froze and scanned the empty hall, until the door to Ryder’s room opened and he stepped outside of it. Stig half rose from his chair.
Ryder closed his door behind him and then turned toward where Stig had been sitting all night. His eyes widened, and his mouth dropped open. A hard frown settled in between his brows, and he strode to the seating area.
“What are you doing?” he hissed in an angry whisper so he wouldn’t disturb any of the sleeping guests.
Stig shrugged and winced. “Um, reading a book?” He lifted the book in question.
Ryder crossed his arms over his chest and scowled.
“Okay, I just wanted to make sure I was here if you needed me. I couldn’t sleep, and then I began worrying. What if today was too much, and you woke up, looking for your studio? I couldn’t stay in my room and continue to toss and turn with worry. I figured there was nothing wrong with hanging out here, just to make sure nothing went wrong.”
Ryder blew out a breath. “Come on,” he said, his tone resigned. He turned back to his room. Halfway there, he glanced back at Stig.
He hadn’t moved yet.
He couldn’t move yet. His heart was in his throat making it hard to breathe, much less think and move.
Ryder raised impatient eyebrows his direction. He waved him down and mouthed the words “come on” again.
This time, Stig followed.
Ryder opened his bedroom suite door and waved for him to enter first. Stig did and then turned back to Ryder, unsure what Ryder had planned.
Ryder didn’t say anything, just lifted his hands behind his head and pulled off his shirt, throwing it to the chair at the side of the room.
The sight of Ryder’s naked chest left him dry-mouthed and had his blood surging south. It had been too long since he’d had sex with the man he wanted more than his next breath.
“Come on.” Ryder turned his back as he unbuttoned his jeans and pulled them off, leaving him in his boxer briefs. “We both need sleep. Get undressed and comfortable. You can sleep in here tonight. Maybe if we’re together, we’ll both manage to get some rest.”
Without a second glance, Ryder crawled under the covers of the large bed, pulling down the covers on the other side in obvious invitation. From all appearances, Ryder planned to go right back to sleep.
“It’s creepy for you to stand there all night and stare at me. Come on, Stig. It’s certainly not the first time we’ve slept together. We both know that we sleep better when we’re together. I promise, I’m not going to ravish you if you get in bed with me, so stop overthinking it.”
Stig didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at the irony of that. The erection pulsing in his jeans said that he would be pretty much okay with ravishing. “When did you get so bossy?” he asked as he started shedding his clothing.
Ryder laughed tiredly. “Not bossy. I’ve fought it as long as I can. I’ll admit it. I sleep better with you in my arms. You sleep better, too. It’s that simple. I need you. Don’t make it more than it is.”
Stripped down to his underwear, Stig flipped off the lights and made it around to the other side of the bed. He crawled under the covers.
“Come here.” Ryder reached across, snagged him by the waist, and pulled him back until they were spooning. Close enough that he could tell that Ryder wasn’t really opposed to ravishment, either. The long length of Ryder’s erect cock nestled in the crease of his ass, teasing him with possibilities.
But before he could say anything, Ryder whispered, “Ignore it. We need to sleep. Just relax, and it will go away.”
Surprisingly enough, Stig was able to do exactly that.
***
When Stig awoke the next morning, he was alone in the big bed and Ryder’s side was cold. He glanced at the clock. It was still early, but Ryder had wanted sunrise photos. He was probably already up and outside with his camera.
Stig inhaled the scent of Ryder that lingered. His morning wood flexed, and he reached down to stroke it. The temptation to rub off to the memory of Ryder’s arms around him all night was strong, but his need to see the man for real was stronger. He used his fingertips to apply firm pressure to the base of his balls and then withdrew his hand. No more of that. He wouldn’t disrespect Ryder by jacking off in his bed.
After he’d fallen asleep, he hadn’t woken again. Ryder was right. They did sleep better together. So why did Ryder keep pushing him away? Stig believed this treatment might work, and Ryder was scared to believe that it might. Disappointment was hard.
Was disappointment the reason why he kept pushing Stig away? Ryder didn’t believe the two of them would work in the long-term. The more he considered it, the more he was sure he’d figured it out. That was an issue Stig could work with.
He just had to stick around...forever. Eventually, Ryder would believe that he wasn’t going anywhere. He could wait the man out.
With that resolve, Stig sprang out of bed, suddenly anxious to find Ryder and see what he’d been up to this morning. He rushed through his shower and got dressed.
When he arrived downstairs, he buzzed through the dining room.
Jeff was there, stocking the buffet. “Can I interest you in an omelet?”
“Maybe when we get back. Right now, I just need a cup of coffee and to find Ryder. He had planned to go out early this morning to take some photos of the courthouse at sunrise.” He smiled at the inn owner. Ryder and he had talked to the innkeepers at length after dinner last night. They were a lot of fun and listening to the stories of how their romance developed along with the evolution of their lives from New York City to Midwestern Kansas had been fascinating.
“Yeah, William mentioned that he’d seen him go out earlier. Just make sure you’re back before eight thirty so you don’t miss breakfast.”
William walked into the room. “Yeah,” he agreed as he playfully grabbed Jeff’s ass. “You definitely don’t want to miss his chocolate and cream cheese croissants.”
Stig groaned. “I’m gaining weight just thinking about it. I’m thinking it’s a good thing we were only here for a single night. My clothes wouldn’t fit if we were here much longer after eating all your decadent treats.”
Jeff laughed. “I do what I can.”
“Don’t let him fool you,” William added. “It’s all part of his nefarious plan...feed me, so I have to work out more. He likes me hot and sweaty after my workout.”
“Truth,” Jeff winked at Stig with a saucy smile. “Can you blame me?”
Both men were gorgeous, and from talking to them the night before, they capitalized on their looks with their social media to bring tourists into the small town to stay at their inn. Ryder and he had checked out their Instagram account over dinner. It had been a very pretty diversion they’d both enjoyed.
“It’s all part of his diabolical plan to make sure I have to workout every day.”
All three of them laughed.
Stig held up his cup. “Okay, I’m caffeinated now. We’ll be back in a little bit for some more sin-filled calories. Make sure the other guests don’t eat it all before we return.”
“Can do,” Jeff called after him.
Stig chuckled as he exited the inn and skipped down the steps, searching the empty square for signs of Ryder.
He liked
the couple. They were fun and interesting. William was a former SEAL. The two had been high school sweethearts and on the football team together before either of them had come out. After graduation, they went their separate ways only to run into each other again seven years later at a nightclub in New York City. It had been fate and made for a really romantic tale of love and destiny.
Their story made him believe that kismet had a—
A muscular arm snaked around his neck from behind, yanking him roughly into the hard barrel of a gun pressed into his side. “Hello, Stig. Miss me?”
Stig froze, the panic sliding down his spine keeping him from reacting. How had Peter found him?
Peter pulled the gun back, but it was quickly replaced with something else. A pinprick jabbed at the side of Stig’s neck before the world faded to black.
***
Ryder
Ryder came around from behind the inn, anxious to get inside to examine the photos he’d taken in the back gardens on his laptop.
He noticed Stig first and began to call out before he realized what he was seeing. A huge man dragged Stig’s limp body toward a white paneled van parked along the street. Stig wasn’t moving, but Ryder couldn’t worry about that right now. He focused on the man taking him. Tall and lanky, he was younger than Ryder had expected, but it had to be Peter.
Ryder took off at a run, his heart pounding in panic. Luckily, the soft grass muffled his approach. At the last minute, Peter turned his head, eyes widening as he saw Ryder. Ryder swung the tripod with his camera like the end of a bat with all his might. It thudded hard against Peter’s temple with a sickening crunch.
It all happened in slow motion. The camera exploded as it hit the side of the man’s head, and blood arced out from his temple in a spray. He staggered and tumbled to the ground, falling half on top of Stig.
“Help! I need help,” Ryder screamed as he rushed over and reached for Stig, who still hadn’t moved. “Oh my god. Stig! Stig!”
Blood pooled under both men, but Ryder couldn’t tell if any of it was coming from Stig or not. Ryder tried to pull Stig out from under the other guy.
Suddenly, Jeff and William stooped to help him.
“Jeff, go back inside and call the police and an ambulance,” William instructed as he reached around Ryder to check the pulses on both men. “Ryder, what happened?”
He didn’t know. What the fuck? “Stig has a stalker. I think that must be him. He was trying to take him. Stig wasn’t conscious. He’s still not conscious.” Panic bubbled from his chest. “I can’t tell where he’s hurt. I need to get Stig out from underneath him. Away from him. He’s dangerous.”
“Okay, hang on, Ryder. Slow down. You’re panicking. We don’t want to make any of this worse. I’m going to gently roll this man. You slide Stig out...careful, easy. We don’t want to injure him further.”
Ryder nodded and grabbed Stig by the armpits and moved him a few inches when William rolled Peter. As soon as he was free, Ryder ran his fingers through Stig’s head, matted with blood, but he couldn’t find the source of it. Maybe it was all Peter’s, but if that was the case, why wasn’t Stig waking up?
Ryder gently lifted Stig’s head into his lap, cradling it gently. “Stig, come on, baby, I need you to wake up.”
There was a moan, but it wasn’t from Stig. It was from the other man that William crouched over.
“Watch out. He’s dangerous,” Ryder warned.
But even before the words formed fully, Peter burst off the ground swinging wildly at William. He easily dodged the frenetic blow and lunged, grabbing Peter’s arm and wrenching it up high behind his back.
The man screamed a high-pitched, pained wail. “Let go of me, you bastard.”
“Not on your life,” William growled. “The police are on their way, and I think they’re going to want to have a little chat with you.”
“I was attacked,” Peter yelled. “I want to press charges.”
Ryder tried to shut out Peter’s delusional ramblings. He brushed the hair off Stig’s forehead. “You have to wake up,” he whispered, his voice cracking. “Come on, Stig. Don’t do this to me. You know I don’t sleep well alone, although you’re making me feel really useless right now since you seem to be doing a bang up job of sleeping without me. Stig...please?” The words caught in Ryder’s throat on a sob, and the tears flowed freely down his face. Why wouldn’t he wake up?
His gaze flew up to the red-faced Peter, still struggling against William’s hold. “What did you do to him?”
“He’s mine. I can do whatever the hell I want to him. Mine, you pathetic little twink.” Peter curled his lip. “If you think you can satisfy him, you’re kidding yourself. He needs the bite of the whip—my whip. I’m the only one who knows how to satisfy him. Me. He’s mine. Mine. Mine...”
The longer Peter talked, the more unhinged he sounded. That terrified Ryder. What would have happened if he’d managed to leave here with Stig? Nausea churned in his stomach.
Sirens filled the neighborhood as a police car slid to a halt in front of the bed and breakfast, followed shortly by a sheriff’s patrol car and an ambulance.
Paramedics rushed over. One said, “Sir, we need you to let go of him so we can examine him.”
Ryder looked up into the kind eyes of the female paramedic. “There’s so much blood. I don’t know what’s wrong with him, but he won’t wake up. Peter did something to him. I don’t know what, though.” He didn’t want to let go of Stig while he was hurt. What if something happened? He could die, and Ryder wouldn’t be there. “No.”
“It’s okay. I won’t hurt him, but you have to let go so I can examine him.”
He searched her eyes, looking for the truth in what she said, but she wasn’t concentrating on him anymore.
She gave a sharp nod to someone behind him.
Someone grabbed hold of his arm and pulled him away from Stig. “Sir, we need you to come with us and answer some questions,” a male voice said.
“No!” Ryder yanked out of his grip. “I’m not leaving Stig.”
“You need to let the paramedic do her job. She can’t do that if you’re in the way. Don’t you want your friend to get better?”
Yes, he did. Ryder gripped his hands into fists and allowed himself to be pulled away. “Please, just make sure he’s okay. He’s everything.” Ryder’s world. Without Stig, he didn’t have a reason to go on. Why hadn’t he seen it before? He’d been pushing Stig away, and now he may have lost his chance. He may have lost everything.
Tears flowed unchecked down his cheeks.
“Sir! Sir, I need you to pay attention to me now. I need you to answer some questions about what happened.”
Reluctantly, Ryder pulled his gaze from Stig’s prone form lying so still on the ground to meet the gaze of the overweight middle-aged police officer.
“Can you state your name, please?”
“Ryder Garrett. There’s an ID in my wallet if you need it.” Ryder knew enough not to reach into his pocket without permission.
“You can pull it out, just move slowly. No sudden moves.”
Ryder pulled out his wallet and removed his driver’s license.
The police officer examined it, wrote a couple of things down on his notepad and then looked at Ryder. “Can you tell me what happened?”
“I’m not exactly sure. I left the inn early to take some photos of the town.”
“That’s your camera over there?” The police officer pointed to the shattered remains of his five thousand dollar camera, now nothing more than a pile of plastic and metal hanging wonkily off his tripod.
“Yes.”
“Did you strike that man with your camera?” He pointed to where Peter stood talking to another policeman while the other paramedic examined his head.
“Yes.” Crap, was he going to get in trouble now, too? “I’m not sure, but I think his name is Peter. My friend, Stig Minton”—he nodded at Stig, who the paramedics were loading onto a stretcher—“has had a st
alker. You can call the Denver police department. They know about it, I think. When I came around the corner of the inn, he was carrying Stig, who was already unconscious. I don’t know what he did to him.”
His words choked as emotion climbed his throat. “I think he’s the guy who’s been stalking Stig, although I don’t know how he could have found us here. He has been very careful not to do anything under his name, so Peter couldn’t find him. How did this happen?” He took in a shuddering breath.
“I don’t know, sir, but we’ll figure it all out. Please stay right here. I don’t want to cuff you, but I will if I need to.”
“I couldn’t let him kidnap Stig,” he whispered as the horror of what had almost happened washed over him. He’d assaulted someone. Of course, they would arrest him. “Am I under arrest?”
“Not yet. That will be the sheriff’s call. Give me a few minutes.”
As the adrenaline waned, Ryder’s legs gave out underneath him and he sank to the ground.
Jeff rushed over and crouched beside him. “Are you okay?”
“No, not even close. Where are they taking him? Why won’t he wake up?”
“I don’t know. We have a small regional hospital on the edge of town, so they should be taking him there. I saw one of the police officers pick up a syringe. Is it possible that guy drugged him?”
One of the police officers cuffed Peter as the ambulance rushed away, taking Stig with it.
Ryder nodded. “Yeah, I think so. I’ve never met him, but from what I’ve seen, he’s crazy and obsessed with Stig.”
Ryder sat on the ground another ten minutes before the uniformed police officer came over to him again. “Mr. Garrett, the sheriff has said you’re free to go to the hospital if you want. Right now, it doesn’t look like there will be any charges against you, but we do need you to stay in the area. We’re going to need an official statement from you, but we understand that you want to go check on your friend right now. It looks like he was injected with some sort sedative. The syringe was sent with him to the hospital, so they should be able to pinpoint the drug and hopefully counteract it.”
