“No. I—” Gage’s phone cut out for a second. “—ason.”
“What?” Alex was sure he must have misheard. He thought he’d heard Gage mention the one man Alex despised more than anyone else. “You cut out. Are you driving? What’s goingon?”
“I was just driving with Bo, trying to get him over to Mal’s place, and I saw him at your gallery. At first, I didn’t think that it was him, because he knows better than to set foot near anywhere you go, but I swear, it was him. You’re not seeing him again, Alex, are you? I saw he was there with another guy,but—”
“What?” Alex sat upright and planted his feet on the floor. “He’s at mygallery?”
“He was five minutes ago. I was going to park before I called to let you know, but you called mefirst.”
“Oh, fuck him.” Alex climbed to his feet. The blood rushed from his head, and for a moment, the room spun. Strain pressed at the back of his eyes. He blinked it away. “That isnotokay. He knows better than to show up where Iwork.”
“Does he know that’s where you work?” Gage asked. “I mean, you only started painting there after you’d cut contact with him. But then, why else would he be there? I don’t get it. Just… He’s dangerous, Alex. I don’t want you to get hurt. You need to stay away from there fornow.”
“I’m not going to get hurt.” Alex risked a step forward. The dizziness was starting to wear off, but his face was hot and his head ached. “Thank you for letting meknow.”
“Okay, no, wait! I didn’t tell so you could go confront him, Alex—I told so you’d stay away. Hehurtyou. You need to call the police and let them handle this. You have a restraining order, right? The judge granted you five years. You can tell them that he’s loitering around your place of work and that it’s making you feel uncomfortable. They’ll have him removed, and you don’t even have to set foot near thebuilding.”
“Right.” Alex was already at the door. He tugged at the laces of his shoes, opening them up, then slipped his feetinside.
“Alex!” Gage despaired. “I told you to keep yousafe—”
“I’m going to be safe. You don’t have to worry, okay?” Alex laced up his shoes, then pulled his hoodie down from its peg on the wall by the door. “Thank you for telling me that you saw him, and that he’s looking to cause trouble. I’ll make sure that everything turns outokay.”
“You’re not doing a great job at reassuring me.” Gage couldn’t have sounded more distraught. “Don’t go. I swear,Alex—”
“I’m sorry, Gage. I’ve gotta go.” Alex zipped his hoodie up, opened the front door, and locked it from the inside. “I need to take care of some unfinishedbusiness.”
“Alex,” Gage stressed. “Don’t do anything stupid. Please? Don’t make me show upthere.”
“Stay home. It’ll be fine.” Alex headed for the street corner. “You know I’ve gotthis.”
“You don’t have this atall!”
Alex gritted his teeth. For the last two years, Jason had left him alone and stayed out of his business. If he was back, it was for a reason. Alex wasn’t going to let it get the best ofhim.
He was older and wiser now. He knew what love was, and what itwasn’t.
If Jason wanted to start something, he was ready. The old Alex was gone, bettered by Laurence’s influence and the responsibilities of encroaching parenthood. He wouldn’t shrink awayanymore.
Jason was on his turf, and he wasn’t going to put up withit.
“I love you, Gage, but I need to do this. I’ll call you in a little.” Before Gage could reply, Alex ended the call. He had business to take care of, and no one would stand in hisway.
* * *
Alex thrust openthe gallery door, headed into the building, and almost came chest to chest with the man he was looking for. Right in time to avoid collision, Alex jumped back. His eyes found focus. Jason was exactly as he’d remembered him from two yearsago.
Short brown hair styled jaggedly with gel, a strong chin, stunning hazel eyes, and a body built like a linebacker. He wore a v-neck t-shirt and loose jeans that slouched down his hips, revealing a section of the boxers he wore beneath. Once, Alex had thought he was impossibly handsome. Now, he wondered why he’d ever been attracted tohim.
Jason was nothing more than a violent, destructive, overgrown child. He was twenty-seven now. What was he doing dressed likethat?
“Well, well, well,” Jason murmured. The timbre of his voice rattled Alex, flash-freezing ice crystals down the length of his spine. “The artist isin.”
Alex had told himself he was ready, that the past was in the past, and Jason’s influence over him was gone. But all it took was the sound of his voice to plunge Alex back into the dark waters he’d almost drowned in way back when. Yellow diffused across his vision, shading everything in its sicklyhue.
“I heard that you were painting professionally now, so we came to check you out.” Jason smirked. The corner of his lip lifted, and his teethglinted.
We?
