[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
boy. He heard the sigh of relief as Nick sagged even deeper
into the couch.
"Okay, babe?"
"Yeah, I I'm okay," Nick said shakily. He tried to push
himself up but Damian's hand kept him pressed to the couch.
"Does this happen often? Do you have any pain pills?"
"Not too often. I have pills at my flat," Nick said in an
exhausted voice.
"Would you trust me with your keys so I can go and get
them?" Damian asked anxiously.
"No, I'll just go home. I don't want to be a bother."
"I'll take you home. Let's get you dressed. Let me do all
the work; don't try to sit up by yourself. You might tweak it
again," Damian ordered.
Nick was feeling rather limp and he was more than happy
to allow Damian to maneuver his pants up. Damian hoisted
him to his feet and slid an arm around his waist. How he
managed the doors and locks, Nick didn't know; he was too
out of it to take notice.
The next thing he knew Damian had buckled him into his
car and was getting in the other side.
154
A Strong Hand
by Catt Ford
"Nick? Nicky? I need to know where you live."
Nick rested his head against the back of the seat and
closed his eyes wearily. He hadn't had an attack this bad in a
long time. He managed to give his address before lapsing into
a dazed state.
When he felt Damian searching his pockets for his keys,
Nick realized the car had stopped.
"Right front pocket," he whispered.
Damian found the keys and got out, locking the car. He
hated leaving Nick there alone in a neighborhood renowned
for being very seedy. From the look of the building it was
unlikely that there was an elevator, and even though he was
strong and fit he didn't fancy carrying Nick up an unknown
number of stairs.
He found Nick's name on the mailbox and ran up the stairs
two at a time, puffing by the time he reached the fourth floor.
His instinct was right; he was not going to be carrying Nick up
four stories. If worse came to worst, he would take the boy
home with him.
He unlocked the door and stopped, appalled by the poverty
that made the tiny flat cold and ugly. It was only a single
room, with a bed and a tiny bathroom. No place to prepare
food, no luxuries. Apparently Nick did not own a TV or radio,
although he had a laptop. And he was a slob. Clothing
covered every surface, mingled with books and papers.
Damian's lips tightened; now was not the time, but he
would make sure Nick changed that or they would never be
able to live together in harmony. Fuck! Where had that come
from?
155
A Strong Hand
by Catt Ford
Damian stood motionless in shock as he worried exactly
when he'd decided that Nick would be moving in with him.
Then he remembered that he had left the semi-conscious
young man in the car and resumed his search. At least Nick
had left his pills in a sensible spot, in the medicine cabinet.
Damian locked the door behind him and leaped down the
stairs. He was relieved to see his car intact and Nick
apparently asleep.
He got in quietly and started the car. Nick's head rolled to
the side and he opened his eyes to slits. "Find them?"
"Yes. See if you can get some sleep. We'll be home in
fifteen minutes," Damian said soothingly.
Home. The words echoed in Nick's groggy mind. It had a
nice ring to it. He spent as little time in his flat as possible. He
didn't think of it as home; that was where his parents and his
sister were, in the house where he grew up.
But if he wanted to study art he had to be in London, and
his parents couldn't afford to send him so finding this flat was
actually a stroke of luck. It was cheap and it was close
enough to school that he could walk, saving him the tube
fare.
When Damian turned the car into the circular drive and
slowed to a stop, Nick pried his eyes open to see a charming
Tudor cottage, two stories with a garden that looked
enchanting even under the moonlight.
Damian ran around the car, opening the door and
extracting Nick from the seat. He pulled Nick's arm over his
shoulder and supported him to the door, unlocking it and
kicking it open.
156
A Strong Hand
by Catt Ford
He guided Nick down a short hallway to a room with a [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]