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“That won’t matter if the police suspect you of planting the bomb. Be careful what you say, okay? Little as possible. When I come back, I’ll get you out of here.”

Jack’s eyes were already starting to close. Exhaustion took him under.

His first thought on waking was that he’d have preferred not to, because everything hurt but the police were there, they knew his name was Sebastian Green and Jack had to talk to them.

He stuck to his story. He didn’t think they’d believed him about the cards but there was nothing illegal about having sex.

He told them he had no idea why his passport and hotel key weren’t in his bag, that they must have fallen out into the water.

They asked him about the bomb but he played up his bewilderment. Finally, they left him alone.

Then Thomas had rescued him.

Zeph stirred at his side and when he saw Jack, he smiled. Then his face fell. “What are these?” He touched the scars on Jack’s arm.

The Swiss plastic surgeon had redone the French surgeon’s work with micro stitches, although close up, the scars were still there.

“I didn’t notice last night. What exactly did you get caught up in?”

Jack didn’t think it would hurt to tell him. “An explosion.”

“What the fuck?” Zeph hugged him. “How long were you in hospital?”

“A couple of weeks, then Thomas flew me to Switzerland to recover.”

“Did the explosion have anything to do with why you’re in hiding? Did the people who were looking for you, find you?”

“Yes.” Jack didn’t like lying, but it was an easier and more acceptable explanation.

“Oh God. I’m so sorry.”

“I survived.” Jack shrugged.

“And did you manage to do the job you’d gone to do for Thomas before it happened?”

“I did.”

“You might have died,” Zeph whispered.

“I’m hard to kill.”

“If you were in hospital for a couple of weeks, then you were badly hurt. What injuries did you have?”

Jack told him and watched Zeph’s face pale.

“All this time I’ve been annoyed with you…and you were recuperating. I feel terrible. But you could have got in touch. You know my number.”

“If they’d found you through my phone… I’d never have forgiven myself. I’m not supposed to see you anymore.”

“But here you are.” Zeph snuggled against him.

Here I am.

Moments later, Zeph was asleep again, tucked into Jack’s side.

He worried he’d told him too much. But even if he managed to find out about the explosion in Cannes, Zeph had no idea about the house in the small village in Switzerland.

It was one of the few places where Thomas felt reasonably safe.

The chalet was in an isolated spot without a conventional alarm system because Thomas didn’t want the police snooping around if it was set off.

But the security system was extensive. Motion sensor linked cameras and microphones that only began recording four minutes after being tripped, so an intruder sweeping with electronic devices wouldn’t find any and assume they were free to continue.

The building was constructed with reinforced steel, the glass was bulletproof and there was an escape tunnel.

It was as near as Thomas could get to a last retreat.

To Jack it felt like a self-imposed prison.

There was a starkness to it. Practical but bunkerlike.

Even so, Jack had recovered there in comfort, walking a little further every day until he was able to run, then climb and last week, ski on a glacier.

Thomas had spared no expense in putting him back together.

When Zeph woke, he smiled. “You’re still here.”

“Very observant.”

“I have some questions.”

“Okay.”

“How long can you stay?”

“Thomas is expecting me for Christmas. I assume Martin and Paulo are expecting you too.”

“Yes. I’ve had an extension on the time I can stay in college though, because I need to use the computer lab. So you can’t whisk me off to Barbados. I have to work.” Zeph gave a tentative grin.

“I’ll get a refund on the tickets. I’d booked business class as well. I assume you won’t work all day, every day?”

“I might be able to squeeze you in.”

Jack laughed. “That’s good to know.”

“Did you pay my tuition fees?”

Ah. He should have expected that. “Are you going to be pissed off if I say yes?”

“Why?” Zeph whispered. “Why would you do that?”

“Because I had the money and I wanted to spend it on something worthwhile.” There is nothing more worthwhile in my life than you.

“I’ll pay you back.”

“I don’t want the money back. It’s a gift. Let me do this for you.”

“How can I ever thank you?”

Jack squeezed Zeph’s hip. “I’m sure you’ll think of something.”

Zeph frowned. “My mind’s gone blank.”

Jack burrowed under the duvet and put his mouth around Zeph’s cock.

“Completely blank,” Zeph said.

Over the next few days, the others who shared the house gradually packed up and went home and by Saturday it was just the two of them left.

They ate in front of the TV in the shared lounge with a pathetic little Christmas tree in the corner.

Thomas would have thrown it out. It amused Jack that Thomas liked Christmas so much.

It was the one time of the year when he appeared almost normal.

Jack took Zeph ice skating in the Christmas village set up in Parker’s Piece.

They drank mulled wine, explored a Christmas tree maze and ate a meal in a heated dome.

The city had been transformed into a winter wonderland with lights and decorations everywhere.

Zeph bought presents for Martin and Paulo, Jack bought some for Thomas and Django.

Those for Zeph, he purchased when Zeph wasn’t with him.

Zeph seemed to tire easily but Jack guessed it had been a long term.

On Monday morning, he walked to the computer science building with Zeph. At twelve Zeph came out to have lunch with him and at three thirty, Jack was waiting outside to walk back with him.

The moment he saw Zeph, Jack felt himself smile.

When they were behind closed doors, Jack kissed him.

The kiss went on and on. Something about the way Zeph fell into it, as if Jack was all he wanted, all he longed for…

It made Jack happy in a way he couldn’t explain.

He wasn’t going to think about it ending, because it wouldn’t.

He’d have to leave at some point, but he would come back.