Chapter 38
“God, I just kept pressing it, until finally he swung at me and hit
me here…” He pointed to his cheek, already discolored. Alex fought
the urge to kiss the bruised skin. “And then the bartender said
‘take it outside’ and we did, only he had a friend out there who
said…” Beneath Alex’s hands, Jamie began to tremble. “God, Alex,
they said—”
“It’s okay,” Alex whispered. He knelt down beside Jamie
and took him into a tight embrace; this time Jamie hugged him back,
his arms slipping around Alex’s neck until they threatened to choke
him and stillthe trembling didn’t stop. “They aren’t here,
Jamie, they can’t hurt you. I won’t let them.”
Jamie’s words were barely audible through fresh tears. “They
were gonna rape me,” he whispered. “Just take me into the alley and
fuck me senseless and leave me bleeding and broken and dying and
God…”
His voice broke; anger flashed through Alex as Jamie clung to
him. The thought of anyone hurting this young man, or even daring