Aden suspected he’d died—again—when the car hit him. His head slammed into the road, white lights exploded behind his eyes, and he’d felt and heard a snap as his leg broke. Everything hurt and he’d hoped that wet feeling under his thigh was from the bottle of water and not blood. He had a vision in his head of Raphael rolling his eyes, Dante smirking at his side.

Used a chance up, did I? My chances are lives? Aden knew he should have been more careful, walked at the side of the road, listened for vehicles. Anyone would think he’d been trying to get knocked down just to see if he really was dead. Yeah, well now he knew. Dying hurt. Though he’d forgotten the pain when he’d opened his eyes to find a cute dark-haired guy leaning over him. Except he looked freaked out.

For a brief moment Aden wondered if the accident might offer him a way of landing a bed for the night, but when the man called the police, Aden had no choice but to run. Well, limp off into a field. He had no means of identifying himself, no means of explaining what he was doing walking along a country road in the dark. The police had no cause to arrest him, but he was sure they could come up with something. Forget the month, he’d have cocked up inside one day just as Dante predicted.

He could hear the driver calling him. If the positions had been reversed, and he’d been behind the wheel and hit someone, what would he have done?

Driven on.

No, he wouldn’t. He wasn’t that much of a shit. But how long would he have looked—if at all? He wanted to believe he’d have wandered around in the pouring rain, searching like this guy was doing. But I wouldn’t. He put his hands to his aching head. It felt like he had two people arguing in there.

Maybe I do. He bristled. That wasn’t fair. How was he supposed to be doing the right thing if he had Dante trying to persuade him not to?

After he’d taken advantage of the driver’s inattention and slipped away, Aden had registered he was going to be knee deep in mud if he stayed in a field, and so had circled back to the road knowing he had a window of opportunity to get some distance from the car before either the police arrived or the guy drove on.

When he eventually heard a vehicle coming up behind him, he slid into the trees and waited until the car had passed. The flashing lights told him it was the police. He stayed where he was until they returned, then carried on, his limp gone. A short while later, he heard another vehicle and hid again. This time it was the car that had hit him. Aden thought about stepping into the road and flagging the guy down, but he was going to be pissed off. Aden’s disappearing act had made him waste police time with that unnecessary emergency call.

The tail lights faded into the distance, and Aden set off once more. This wasn’t being the good guy Raphael wanted him to be. But the police would have insisted he went to hospital and he didn’t know what doctors would find when they examined him. The stumps of wings in his back? If he refused to give his name—what would they have done?

Anyway, it was academic because he didn’t need medical treatment. He needed somewhere warm and dry to sleep while he got his head around what had happened since he’d found himself standing in that mist. He needed to test stuff out. What? Like dying? Aden groaned. He was a selfish bastard because he could have killed the guy driving the car. He’d been about Aden’s age and good-looking, though his cheek was bruised and there were scratches on his face. Aden hoped they weren’t his fault. The guy’s hair was as dark as Aden’s, but messy. When Aden had opened his eyes and looked up at him, he’d felt a surge of interest. Talk about the wrong time and wrong place.

As soon as he saw a house or a farm, preferably a farm because there’d be outbuildings, he’d scout around for shelter. He was soaked and caked in mud from the knees down. The rain had gone all the way through his coat and shirt to his skin. His back ached. The leg he’d broken hurt. He wasn’t wearing socks and his feet were not only frozen but being rubbed raw by his boots. Seemed a bit mean-spirited that if he couldn’t be killed, he still had to cope with pain and discomfort.

He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out the water bottle, the plastic torn and the bottle empty as he’d expected. Aden tossed it into the verge, took three more steps, then turned and went back to get it. See that? I’m not littering. He stuffed the bottle back in his pocket. Though when he touched the feathers, he took those out and let the wind carry them away. A futile act of defiance but it made him feel better.

When he spotted a sign for Sanders Farm and Livery, he sighed with relief and turned off the road onto a rutted, muddy track. He was too exhausted to keep walking. All he had was that apple in his pocket—and—yep, the two fucking feathers were back. Neat trick if it had been food or money. He wished he was heading toward a hot meal and a warm bed, maybe even with someone in it, preferably that guy who’d knocked him down assuming he was gay, though Aden felt too tired to fuck anyone.

The closer he drew to the buildings, the more cautious he became. Farms had dogs. Dogs would hear him, smell him and start barking. People would come out. He’d be in trouble.

A dog began barking.

Shit.

He tried the door of the first building he came to, but it was locked. The next wasn’t and he slipped through to find himself inside a long stable block. It wasn’t completely dark. A small light shone at the far end and he could see stalls running the length of the building. Judging by the snuffles and snorts, they were occupied by horses. He remained motionless, apart from his violent shivers and chattering teeth, and after a while the dog stopped barking. Once he’d convinced himself there was no one around, he walked the length of the barn looking for an empty stall. It wasn’t warm in there, but at least it was dry.

Some of the horses popped their head over the half-doors as he passed. Aden knew nothing about horses. He’d never ridden one, never patted one, not even on a carousel. They made a variety of sounds as he walked by, quiet blows, whinnies, a few wet snorts and neighs. Maybe they were talking to each other, wondering who the hell he was, or more likely—had he brought food. That apple’s mine.

He reached the end without finding an unoccupied stall, though he did spot a pile of blankets in a far corner. As he started toward them, he caught the sound of a door opening behind him and slipped into the closest stall. He curled up at the front so anyone looking over would be less likely to see him and pulled straw over his legs.

Of course, he hadn’t counted on the current occupant objecting to sharing his residence. The horse stamped its hoof. Close and hard. Aden cringed and tried to curl up even tighter. A hoof slammed down next to his thigh and he jumped. Fuck. The horse looked enormous. It snorted and stamped again.

“Shut up, you pest,” someone shouted.

The horse lowered his head and nudged Aden’s pocket. The apple? He took it out, bit off a piece and held it up. The horse snaffled it. Aden could hear someone walking toward him. He gave the horse another chunk of the fruit then pulled more straw over himself. Not much of a disguise, but better than nothing. The horse shifted to stand with his head over the door and blocked Aden from view. Had that been deliberate? Oh yeah because a horse would do that, you twat.

“What was that about?” a gruff voice asked from inches away. “Still not eating? Hey, no biting.”

Biting? Aden wasn’t sure he took another breath until he heard the footsteps receding and the door close. The horse nudged his pocket and Aden chomped off another piece of apple and stood up.

Christ. You’re big. Aden was six two but was dwarfed by the horse. It was chestnut coloured with a white blaze down its face and long eyelashes. He risked a gentle pat at the side of the head and the horse reared up. Aden shifted out of the way just before the hooves slammed down where he’d been standing.

“What’s the matter? I just fed you.”

The horse settled again. Aden trailed his fingers over his flank and he could have sworn he heard purring.

“So I can touch you there? But not your face.”

Was that a fucking nod? When he tried to get out of the stall the horse blocked him.

“You want me to stay? I was saving the rest of that apple for me.”

The horse opened and closed its mouth, then stared at him. For some strange reason he convinced himself the horse was trying to tell him something.

“What’s the matter?” Aden whispered.

He rubbed the horse’s neck and it blew through its nostrils. When Aden touched the side of the mouth, the same place as before, the horse backed away.

“Toothache? I’m not a dentist.”

The horse came forward again.

“Okay, let me look.” Though he had no idea what he was supposed to be looking for.

But when he gingerly lifted the flap of skin at the side of the horse’s mouth and exposed the gum, he also exposed a piece of plastic lodged between the teeth and the cheek.

“Ouch. Okay. I see what’s wrong. Don’t bite me.” Aden took hold of the foreign object and pulled. It didn’t shift and the horse whinnied. “Okay, okay. I’ll keep trying. You shouldn’t have chewed it, should you? You pull back while I tug on it.”

He tried again but the slimy plastic kept slipping through his fingers. Aden took off his sodden coat, tossed it aside and unfastened his shirt. When he had it in his hand, apart from being soaking wet, he saw the back was dark with blood and he gulped. He put his hand into the sleeve and pinched the plastic with the material which gave him a better grip. He pulled hard, the horse jerked back and Aden fell on his butt with what looked like half a bottle cap in his fingers.

The horse pressed his nose into Aden’s stomach and neighed. Aden stood up. He’d hurt his back when he’d fallen, and it took him a moment to pull himself together. He had to put the shirt back on. It was too cold not to, but he shuddered as he fastened the buttons. The material felt colder against his skin. He couldn’t face wearing the coat. It was so wet, water dripped from it. Before he tossed it aside, he took the apple from his pocket and gave the rest to the horse.

If he didn’t find something to wrap himself in, he’d freeze. Not to death, though. He smiled briefly.

“Back in a minute,” he told the horse and slipped out of the stall.

He nearly had a heart attack when he felt the nudge on his shoulder. The horse had followed him.

“How did you do that? I fastened you in.” 

The animal trotted ahead and nickered at the pile of blankets. Aden stopped in his tracks. It wasn’t possible the horse knew what he needed. He grabbed three or four of the pieces of material and walked back to the stall. The horse’s name was written on a chalk board on the door. “Hello, Captain.”

The horse went back into the stall and Aden followed, double-checking the catch. When Captain snorted into his face, Aden snorted back. “Nice to meet you too. Going to lie down? Do horses lie down to sleep?”

He had no idea, but the horse settled on the straw and Aden wrapped the blankets around both of them and lay close. He pulled off his boots and curled his cold toes in the straw, thought about it, then put them against the horse’s warm leg.

“Don’t get any ideas,” he muttered. “No kissing. Not on our first date.”

 

 

Brody left the cottage carrying his coffee in a thermos mug. He’d had no calls last night, but he’d tossed and turned thinking about the guy he’d hit, wondering if he was okay, trying to figure out why he hadn’t hung around and where he could have gone—on foot and in the rain. Brody had been sure his leg had been broken, but then how could he have walked anywhere? So maybe not broken, but definitely injured. He hadn’t imagined the blood. But where had it come from? Head? Leg? Somewhere else? On the other hand, maybe it had been a deer he’d hit and he’d been so freaked out he’d conjured up that conversation. He was messed up enough in the head for that to be the truth.

Along with anxiety about last night, what had happened when he’d left the club kept surging to the forefront of his mind. He’d never actually been forced into sex before. Not quite, but that had been rape. He shook when the word formed in his head. He’d been right not going to the police, but what if he’d left some other guy open to that sort of attack by the same men?

He was disgusted by the risks he was taking. It had to stop. No more casual pickups. No more clubs. He’d take Grindr off his phone. He needed a hobby to occupy him when he wasn’t working. Something to stop him ruining his life. Maybe he could try painting or learn a foreign language or find some physical activity that tired him out. Like sex? He groaned.

Brody wasn’t working today, but he still had stuff to do for Des. In return for allowing Brody to stay in one of the two self-contained holiday cottages next to the farm—and pay for the privilege—Brody had to do his fair share of the work associated with the business. It was hard not to be resentful when their parents had chosen to leave everything to Des even though Brody sort of understood why they’d done it.

Saturday was the day when many of those who lodged their horses at the livery came to exercise them. Des employed a few local youngsters to do the mucking out and grooming in return for lessons. Brody didn’t have the patience to teach, not that Des had asked him to. As he made his way to the barn he thought again about last night. His stomach churned with anxiety. Maybe he ought to go and have another look for the guy. Or for a deer.

Des was just going into the stable when Brody turned the corner.

“I’m going to check on the mare,” Brody said.

“You still look like crap.”

“I’m fine.”

“Stay, Nelson,” Des said to his dog.

Brody followed Des inside.

“Have a look at Captain too. He was off his feed yesterday. I’ll have to hold him. He’s the most bad-tempered brute I’ve ever seen and this week he’s been worse.”

“Yeah, I noticed. I’ll look at him.”

“He’s fed up and pissed off. If you’re not going to ride him, you need to sell him.”

Brody gritted his teeth. “No.”

“It’s not fair on the horse. Let him go to someone who wants him.”

“Not yet.” Brody didn’t try to keep the snap out of his voice.

Des sighed. “Fine. We’ll see him first.”

Brody walked down the line of stalls wondering if he and his brother would ever be better friends. Des was always surly, always criticising, though Brody knew it was because Des worried about him. His brother was right about Captain, but Brody couldn’t let him go. Captain was his link to the period of his life that hadn’t been blighted by Matt. Just by death.

Be nice to Des. “Want to go out for a ride later?” Brody asked.

Des looked at him as if he’d just suggested they go and have their nuts chopped off. “You going to ride Captain?”

“No.”

“Then no. I don’t have time.”

Why did I bother? Brody needed to look for somewhere else to live. He and Des were better apart.

When they reached Captain’s stall and looked over the half-door, they both started.

“What the hell?” Des growled.

A guy lay on his side under blankets with his head resting on the horse’s flank. It was the man Brody had hit last night. His face was streaked with blood.

“Christ,” Brody whispered.

“Wake up,” Des barked.

“Don’t freak out the horse.” Brody’s heart jumped as he imagined Captain’s hooves slamming down on the guy’s head.

The man opened his eyes and looked from Des to Brody.

“Get the hell out of there.” Des clenched his fists on the top of the door.

“Move slowly,” Brody added. He was shocked to see Captain lying down.

The guy pushed to his feet and let the blankets fall away. Captain stood up at his side. The man picked up his coat and slipped it on, an expression of what looked like discomfort on his face. When he stepped toward them, Captain nudged him back away from the door.

“It’s okay.” The man rubbed behind the horse’s ear.

“It’s not bloody okay,” Des said. “You’re trespassing. I’m going to call the police. How dare you—”

“Shut up. I know him,” Brody said.

The guy looked at him in shock, then his face lit in a smile. “Hello again.”

Brody’s relief that the man was alive and well was joined by a bolt of sexual interest. He hadn’t been able to see much last night but those navy eyes were dark and sexy. So was that slightly crooked smile. Oh shit.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Des demanded. “Have you touched him? Done something perverted? Cut him?”

“What?” the guy gasped.

“He was lying down,” Des snapped. “Horses rarely lie down and they don’t lie down next to strangers.”

“They do if they feel safe,” Brody said.

Des turned to him. “You know this idiot?”

“Have you been in there with him all night?” Brody asked.

“Yeah. Totally platonic.” He glared at Des. “Not an easy bedfellow. He lay down, got up, lay down again, got up again. But he kept me warm. Nibbled my ear to warn me when he was going to move, as well.”

Captain hung his head over the guy’s shoulder, nuzzled into him and the guy winced. Brody couldn’t believe the way Captain was behaving. Not the easiest animal at the best of times, for the last week, he’d been murderous, kicking at the walls of the stall, stamping, not letting anyone near him including Brody.

“He even took me to the pile of blankets,” the guy said.

Brody gaped at him and Des snorted.

“No way,” Des said. “Horses basically think along three lines—What can I eat? How can I get free? Where can I find more of my own kind? They don’t lead someone they’ve never seen before to a pile of blankets because they know they’re cold.”

“But that’s what he did,” the guy said. “By the way, my name’s Aden.”

“I’m Brody. This is my brother Des.”

Des glared. “I thought you knew him?”

“We hadn’t been introduced,” Aden said.

“Another one of your fuck buddies?” Des bristled with supressed rage.

Brody could feel the anger pouring off his brother. Brody had never brought a guy back here. Des had no right to speak to him like that and it wasn’t as if he was homophobic, just overprotective. But before he could open his mouth, Aden spoke.

“Brody knocked me down last night.”

“Sure it wasn’t the night before?” Des asked.

“I hit him with my car last night.” Brody stared at Aden taking in the hard planes of his narrow face, the line of his jaw, his paleness, and that dried blood.

“What?” Des turned to Brody.

“I called the police, but by the time an ambulance arrived, he’d disappeared.” Brody stared at Aden. “Coincidence you ended up here?” Or did you follow me?

“I needed to get out of the rain. This was the first place I came to.”

Brody swallowed his sigh of relief. That was true. The farm was the first dwelling he’d have passed. Worry that all this had in some way been planned, that Matt was behind it, employing someone to look for him, dwindled to nothing.

“Where’s the blood come from?” Des asked. “You need medical treatment?”

“I’m fine.” Aden fastened a button on his coat and slipped past Captain to get out of the stall. He held out a piece of plastic. “This was stuck in the horse’s mouth. I pulled it out.”

Des took it from his fingers. “Damn Leo Carter. I’ve told him not to bring his plastic bottles of pop in here. I’ll kill him.” He renewed his glare when he looked at Aden. “You’re still trespassing and you’re lucky Captain didn’t kick you in the head. He’s temperamental. Good thing you know your way around horses, though you should know better than to pull a stunt like this.”

“Are you good with animals?” Brody asked.

“Only puppies and spiders.” The skin at the side of Aden’s eyes crinkled as he smiled. “I’ve never been this close to a horse in my life.”

Oh my God, I like you more and more. Funny and attractive? If he had a rough streak as well, Brody was toast.

“You don’t know horses?” Des gaped at him and then at Captain. He put his hand over the door and the horse tried to nip him.

“Hey, none of that,” Aden said. “This guy is feeding you and putting a roof over your head. You should be endlessly grateful and do anything he wants. And that includes letting him ride you.”

Brody caught the quick glance Aden threw his way and his stomach churned. You’d let me fuck you? Brody’s cock thought so and he was relieved it was hidden under his coat.

“I think you’ve said and done quite enough,” Des said through clenched teeth.

“Sorry for trespassing,” Aden said. “And for any inconvenience caused. I’ll be on my way.”

“I’ll give you a lift.” Though Brody intended to persuade him to stay for a while.

Aden backed off. “No need.”

Don’t go. “Like some coffee?” Brody held out the thermos.

Aden hesitated before taking it. Their fingers brushed and he felt his heart skip a beat. Christ, he’s got cold hands. Except that wasn’t why his heart had lurched.

Brody turned to his brother. “I somehow think Captain will be back on his feed now. I’ll take a look at the mare, then come back.”

“Come back? Why? Where are you going?” His brother followed him to the mare’s stall. “Get rid of this guy.” He lowered his voice. “He’s trouble. You’ve got enough to deal with without inviting more aggravation into your life.”

Brody chewed the inside of his cheeks as he examined the mare. “She’s okay.” He dropped his voice. “I hit him with my car and he wandered off. He was obviously confused and disorientated. The least I can do is drive him home.”

“Fine.”

Not that I need your permission.

Brody went back to Aden who held out the flask.

“Thanks,” Aden said.

“Like something to eat?” Brody heard himself ask.

“That would be good. Steak and chips?”

Brody raised his eyebrows. “Eggs and bacon.”

He gave a heavy sigh. “Suppose I can make do.”

Des harrumphed as Brody led Aden out of the barn.

“Are you okay?” Brody asked. “I didn’t imagine you sliding up the windscreen and over the roof of my car?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. No, you didn’t imagine it. I’m sorry about disappearing on you, but I asked you not to call the police.”

A light bulb pinged in Brody’s head. “Were they already looking for you?”

“Not that I know of. It’s just that they’d have asked questions I wasn’t prepared to answer.”

“Such as?” Brody turned the corner and led the way to his cottage.

“My name. Where I live. What I do.”

He glanced at Aden, anxiety twisting his gut. “They don’t sound like the sort of questions you’d have a problem answering if the police weren’t looking for you.”

“I have to stay under the radar for a month. It’s a…sort of contest. I’m not allowed access to my money. Nor my home. No phone. No contacting friends. I have to survive on my wits, and obviously on my horse-whispering skills.”

Brody frowned. “A contest?”

“Well, more of a challenge.”

Brody wasn’t sure he bought that. “How can you take a month off work?”

“I’m between jobs. This has been organized by the company I’d like to work for. It’s a recruitment exercise.”

That made sense, but… “In the middle of winter?”

“Yeah.”

“You didn’t think to wear something more practical? A waterproof jacket? Sturdy boots?”

“Had to be done in the clothes I was wearing once I received the instruction. I can’t say any more about it. Classified.”

Was that a hint this was something to do with the secret service? Or an excuse he thought Brody might accept? Brody wanted to believe him, but…

“Where’s the blood come from?” Brody pushed down on the handle of his door.

“You don’t lock your door? Damn. Did I spent last night with a horse when I could have climbed into bed with you?”

Brody chuckled. That sort of answered one question though Aden had ignored the other.

“This is a nice place.” Aden didn’t move from just inside the door. “Maybe breakfast isn’t a good idea.”

Brody turned. “Why not?” Didn’t Aden feel it too? There was something between them. It wasn’t Brody’s imagination.

“I’m going to make a mess. I’m covered in mud and my coat’s dripping.”

Take your clothes off then. Fortunately that wasn’t what came out of his mouth. Then again, maybe it should have.

“Take your boots off. There’s underfloor heating. I can hang your coat in the utility room near the boiler.”

Aden stayed by the door and although he’d removed his boots, he’d made no move to take off his coat.

“Would you like a shower? I can find you something to wear. Maybe stick your stuff in the washing machine.”

“Really? You’d do that for me?” Aden’s eyes widened and Brody fell a little further into lust. Dark blue eyes, the longest, darkest eyelashes he’d ever seen on a guy, and sharp cheekbones. But it wasn’t just his looks that attracted, there was something about him that had Brody intrigued, something he wasn’t getting.

“Why not?” Brody asked.

“Inviting a stranger into your home, allowing him to take a shower, offering to wash his clothes, feed him? How many people would do that?”

“You’re not a complete stranger.” Plus he was the best looking guy Brody had seen for a long time, the first guy since Peter who really interested him.

Aden shrugged. “That’s true, but even so…”

“Wouldn’t you do the same?”

“No.”

“I ran you over. I think it’s the least I can do.”

“Apart from defrost a steak and double cook the chips. I’d say triple but not sure I can wait that long.”

Brody laughed and the sound surprised him. He led Aden to the shower, the guy still wearing his coat, and pulled a clean towel out of the airing cupboard.

“You need me to take a look at your back? Did you injure it last night?”

“No, it’s fine thanks.”

“The blood on your face… You cut your head?”

“I’m okay.”

Brody thought he was lying, but he could hardly wrestle him to the ground to take a look. “There’s a pack of razors in the cabinet and a spare toothbrush. I’ll leave some clothes outside the door. Put yours out when you’re ready and I’ll see to them.”

“Thank you.”

Brody went back to the kitchen, hesitated, then pulled steak out of the freezer and set the microwave to defrost it. He had a couple of potatoes he’d been going to bake but he peeled them instead. He hadn’t made chips for a long time. Maybe this was the new start he needed.