The Chartreuse Door by Lisa Gray

Author:Lisa Gray [Gray, Lisa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: JMS Books LLC
Published: 2018-03-14T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

Heart still pounding after his abrupt flight, Keir slammed the door shut and engaged the locks. He spun around and pressed his back against the sturdy door, in shock at the realization his neighbor—the guy who excited him—was stalking him. The man was just as crazy as Keir had suspected that first day. Crazy and dangerous. Despite the deep sense of loss settling over him, he decided to forget the shivery delight of having caught Riley’s attention. That kind of attention he just didn’t need.

As his knees weakened, he lowered himself to the floor in a slow, shaky slide. That awful room. All that personal information so neat, so cold, all typed up like some kind of dossier. And those photos. Some of them taken through his windows.

His eyes widened. The windows!

Scuttling across the floor, he worked his way to the front wall. With a quick jerk, he pulled down the blind. Huddled on the floor beneath the window, he wrapped his arms around his knees and rocked back and forth, trying to stop long-buried feelings from clawing their way to the surface. This wasn’t the same. Just because he was running. And hiding. And being hunted. It still wasn’t the same.

But the emotions burning through him felt all too familiar. The panic and the pain of betrayal sent his thoughts spinning back to that awful day so long ago. He clapped his hands over his ears, but in his mind he could still hear the deafening chants of the angry men at the embassy gate. Back then, he’d learned enough of their language to get the gist of the shouted demands: surrender the abomination—the homosexual boy who bore the demon’s mark on his face. The frenzied crash of rocks and metal hurled against the gate reverberated like thunder. He swallowed hard, pushing down the panic—if the men broke in and caught him, they’d stone him to death.

That day, careful to stay out of view, he’d drawn the shades in his father’s study, then folded up under the massive carved teak desk, making himself as small as possible. Hours passed while he’d sweltered in the heat and prayed for someone to rescue him. When at last he heard his father’s voice in the hallway, he wept in relief. Crawling out of his hiding place, he whispered, “Dad?” He tried again louder. “Dad, I’m in here.”

Moments later, the door opened, and both his parents entered. Keir ran to his mother, who hugged him and tucked his head under her chin. “Thank God. We were frantic when we couldn’t find you.”

Keir pulled her closer, inhaling long and deep. She smelled of sweet dates and mint tea. And safety. “I’m sorry, Mom. I only went into the garden for a few minutes. If I’d known they were out there—”

“Hush. It’ll be all right. We’ve come to an agreement with the local cleric.”

Something in her voice warned him, some false note that sounded off. “Mom?”

She let go and took a step back, wearing a brittle, twisted smile.

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