Page 17 of Dead Air (Moon Murder Mysteries)

“Because this isn’t déjà vu. We’ve… flicked before!” Niall’s hands flailed as he turned, suddenly wishing he wasn’t in his tiny cabin. There was no room to spiral and the walls weren’t tall enough to climb.

“I think I’d remember that,” Chance murmured, sparking Niall’s minuscule and permanently dormant temper.

“Do not gaslight me, Chance! It doesn’t make any sense but don’t tell me I’m imagining things or crazy.”

Chance held up his hands and took a few steps back. “I wasn’t going to but?—”

“Don’t!” Niall covered his ears, willing his brain to work and to make it all make sense. Instead, all he heard was Chance panting and growling as he flicked Niall into the mattress and his own feral screams. “Just go!” he shouted as he pointed at the door.

“Niall?”

“Go!” He turned his back to Chance, fisting his hands in his hair. “I don’t know what’s happening but I can’t think with you this close.”

“I’m…sorry, Niall. Whatever I did— I’ll go but I’ll be back in the morning to check on you.” Chance took a hesitant step toward Niall before backing away and finally leaving, quietly closing the door behind him.

“What the heck is going on?” Niall muffled a scream and went to see how many tea bags he had left. He swiped the jar off the shelf, regretting it wasn’t gin. “That’s the last thing you need.”

All of Niall’s worst relationship mistakes and worst coping strategies involved alcohol.

He stopped drinking after he left Andy and his old life behind.

Wishing for a crisp gin and tonic—or ten—was a good indicator that he was headed for the bad place again.

Niall just couldn’t understand how he’d ended up there with Chance without realizing it.

“I did not imagine that,” he stated, opening the jar and sighing at the last three bags. “Flick it, I’ll figure out how to get more tomorrow. This is an emergency,” he decided and swung around when the flame from one of the candles on the table swayed. “Who’s there?”

He held the jar against his chest as he searched the shadows and the window over his bed. There was no one in the cabin with Niall and the window was shut. Just to be sure, he hurried over and locked the door and closed the curtains. Niall lit another candle and put a pot of water on the burner.

There was still a maddening tickle on the back of his neck, like he was being watched as he prepared his tea. He kept throwing glances behind him and stared at the corner behind the door but the tickle grew into shivers and Niall’s skin was crawling by the time the water began to boil.

“Not this again,” he whispered into his mug, curling into a tight ball around his knees in his armchair. “No. I’m safe up here.” He closed his eyes, refusing to return to that hypervigilant state. In his six years on the mountain, Niall had never felt hunted or vulnerable. “This isn’t like Andy.”

Whatever had happened with Chance had nothing to do with the past. He was nothing like Andy and Niall’s instincts screamed that he was safe with Chance.

They also screamed that something was very wrong and Niall would bet his life that he and Chance knew each other intimately.

Not just as two people who had hooked up a handful of times, but as lovers who had freely and repeatedly explored each other’s bodies.

He heard the faintest, softest sound from the corner—just a hint of an exhale—but Niall jumped to his feet as if he’d heard another gunshot.

“Who’s there?” he asked as he rushed forward, his hand extended in front of him.

Niall swiped at the air behind the door and beat against both walls, feeling like a complete fool.

“You’re not doing this again!” he scolded himself.

Then, Niall began to have doubts. What if he had imagined it all or he was crazy?

He took his tea to bed and pulled the quilt up to his neck, trying to fight off the chill.

His skin prickled and Niall’s stomach soured as he wondered if he had overreacted and was experiencing some kind of panic reflex.

He’d buried all the memories away and had avoided intimacy, dodging Shelby’s hopeful glances for years and laughing off Chance’s attempts to get to know him better.

What if Niall was truly broken and his brain hit the escape hatch whenever a decent man got too close?

He thought back to the kiss and tried to pinpoint when and what had spooked him.

The kiss itself had been perfect and so much more than he had expected.

Instead of wild nerves and awkwardness, there was intense heat and sweet relief.

He knew that Chance would give him what he needed and Niall knew exactly how he’d do it because he’d done it so many times before.

The air moved next to Niall, making his hair ruffle and winding his nerves even tighter.

“Stop!” he threw the mug as he covered his face, shrieking frantically as he raced from the bed.

“Whoever’s there, get out!” he screamed, yanking open the drawer by the sink and grabbing the biggest knife.

“Get out!” He waved it around him, shaking as his breaths came in quick, hyperventilating hisses.

How could he have found his way back to this so quickly after years of peace and freedom? Just one kiss and Niall had tripped right back into Hell. He glanced down at the knife and realized he was holding an ace. If he was right and he wasn’t alone.

Niall decided to see if his peeping Tom would fall for a bluff. “I can’t take this anymore!” he cried out, raising the knife and pressing the blade to his throat.

“Stop!” Chance yelled, jumping from the corner and snatching the knife from Niall.

Niall leaped back, crashing into the sink. “How did you do that?” He covered his mouth to hold back a laugh, a scream, maybe some vomit… “You weren’t there! And then you were! Holy… sugar! ”

“Okay…” Chance slowly leaned and reached around Niall so he could return the knife to the drawer and closed it. He ever so gently eased Niall away from the sink and backed him into the chair before lowering to a knee in front of him. “Thank you,” he said, bowing his head gratefully.

“I think I’m in shock,” Niall mused distantly, frowning at the corner. “I was sure someone was there but I wasn’t expecting someone to actually be there.”

Chance gathered both of Niall’s hands, grimacing. “I’ve been here for a while, I just didn’t know how to explain without scaring the life out of you.”

“I see…” Niall said, even though his mind was utterly vacant, free of any thoughts or useful responses. “You’d better explain fast because I’m about to start screaming.”

“Alright… Let me just start by saying that you are safe with me, Niall. I don’t want to hurt you. I want to protect you,” Chance began, his soft green eyes clung to Niall’s until he nodded.

Niall didn’t understand anything and was beginning to question a lot more than his sanity but he didn’t sense that he was in any danger. If anything, the last hour had proven that he was safe with Chance. Even from himself.

“You’ll always be safe with me.”

“Are you a ghost?” Niall recalled the way Chance had appeared out of nowhere and the way his eyes had changed.

“No. I’m not a ghost but something…old and not a human.”

The “not a human” part had Niall reeling again. “Oh, my God.”

“Breathe. It’s alright…” Chance gave Niall’s cheek a gentle pat when he started seeing stars.

“Take a deep breath in,” he commanded and waited as Niall filled his lungs.

“Now, slowly let it out. Good boy. Keep breathing,” he said softly and calmly, helping Niall’s anxiety settle as his head cleared.

“You’re not human…” Niall said and gestured for him to continue, earning a hesitant groan from Chance.

“Knowing might not make it easier or better,” he warned but Niall slapped his hand away and cut him a hard look.

“I’ve learned that I can survive just about anything, no matter how weird or terrible. And I can forgive a lot, Chance. Just don’t lie to me.”

“Hmm…” Chance’s cheeks puffed out and his eyes widened. “The thing is…lying is kind of unavoidable for me because?—”

“Then get out and never come back,” Niall said, his hand swinging toward the door as he pointed.

“You’ve obviously been lying about a lot of things.

I’ll give you one chance to come clean and start over but whatever comes out of your mouth from now on had better be the truth.

No more strikes, you’re out if you lie to me ever again,” he said with as much confidence and clarity as he could deliver.

Chance was frozen for several moments, his eyes glittering as they shined up at Niall. “Okay.” He nodded quickly. “But first, I want to say that you are the most…beautiful and exceptional man I have ever known,” he whispered, his voice wavering.

“That’s a good start. Keep going.” Niall had managed a stern tone but it was a close call, he’d almost cried. “Why is lying unavoidable?” he prompted and Chance sighed as he rose.

“There are a lot of names for what I am but you wouldn’t be far off if you called me a…demon,” he finally managed.

“Holy sugar,” Niall mouthed, then flinched and looked at the ceiling. “Is there a…you know what and a you know who?” he asked and Chance shook his head.

“Not like you’re imagining. There are many deities but mortals who live a good life go on to rest in glory.”

Niall’s head pulled back and he laughed, surprised. “That’s very comforting, actually. Is there a Hell, then, if there are demons?”

“Hell can be anywhere mortals are made to suffer. We don’t get our own special realm for torturing evildoers.”

“Oh. Why, though?” Niall asked, making Chance’s brow jump.

“Why, what?”

“Why would you want to make mortals suffer? Why torture anyone?”

Chance smiled and hummed knowingly. “Why does there have to be evil? I have often wondered that myself, over the course of a millennia. And the best answer I’ve come up with is: balance.

The universe is all about stasis and in order to have peace, you must have the threat of chaos and pain to ensure that everyone wants to play by the same rules.

In nature, you have a food chain and a cycle of life and death that repeats infinitely.

Mankind disrupted that cycle and continues to disrupt its own stasis, constantly wrestling with the consequences of its break from nature. ”

“Sure,” Niall said with a dismissive shrug. “Why do you do it, though? How do you live with that?”

“Ah.” Chance fell back against the sink and crossed his ankles. “I don’t have a soul,” he said simply. “All the things that make you a good and kind person—your empathy, generosity, patience, honesty, forgiveness, courage… Every bit of that was stripped away when I gave up my soul.”

“That’s terrible, Chance! I’m so sorry.” Niall was heartbroken for him but Chance waved it off.

“That’s like being upset for a jellyfish because it doesn’t have a spine. It’s part of the deal and why demons can still sleep at night.”

“What about all the innocent people you’ve probably hurt?”

Chance grinned. “I don’t see many of those in my line of work. You’re a rare exception. Most people who deal with demons are looking to wiggle out of something evil of their own making and I’m often the consequence of something sinister.”

“Why are you here, then? What did I do?” Niall asked and Chance’s grin faded.

“You haven’t done a damn thing wrong, Niall. I’m here to protect you.”

He laughed, baffled again. “What would I need protecting from? Barely anyone knows I exist.”

“Roger Tompkins knew about you. He was on his way to hurt you. I saw what he had planned and it was vile!” Chance said in a rough growl, pushing away from the sink and kneeling in front of Niall again.

“Those poachers knew you’d be up here and they planned to kill you and leave your body where the animals would pick it clean.

Steven Hyland was going to frame you for murdering his wife. ”

“Oh, flick! Steven? Wanda? You…” Niall was dizzy again. “You killed those people!” he choked out as his vision puddled and a sob built in his chest. “How could you do that, Chance?” he asked and received a rough shake.

“They were going to kill you! I heard their thoughts and saw what they wanted and I stopped them. No one will ever hurt you again. Ever,” Chance vowed, his eyes now blue and burning.

“But did you have to?—?”

“Yes.”

Niall took another slow, cleansing breath. “Look, Chance. I appreciate that— Wait. Is Chance your real name? Are you really a biologist?” he asked, receiving a hard wince from Chance. “Of course you’re not. Demons can’t be biologists. Can they? Is that your real name?”

He shook his head. “It is not and I am not a biologist. Although, I could be if you wanted me to be. I can be as real as you want.”

“Awesome,” Niall said sarcastically. “Does my not-a-make-believe-boyfriend have to be a psychopathic murderer?”

“He does if someone else tries to hurt you. Those men would have framed you for murder or raped you or killed you if I wasn’t here. Especially those poachers. They were ready for you and I don’t think a black bear was the only thing they were hunting.”

A chill passed through Niall as he recalled the moment Buck Fulton aimed his gun at him and the way the walkie-talkie was knocked out of his hand, despite having a firm grip on it.

Reality and mortality collided with his feelings for Chance—or whatever the heck his name was—and Niall understood that he had a choice to make. But he wasn’t making it blindly.

“Okay.” Niall stifled a nervous laugh, unable to believe that any of this was actually happening and surprised he wasn’t screaming at the top of his lungs. “Tell me your name and promise you won’t lie to me again.”