Page 111 of Hunt Me

He laughs and shakes his head. ‘No. They don’t know about Jasper and his sons. They don’t know anything about me anymore.’

My brows fly up. ‘Why? Because you’re hearing?’

It happens more than most people want to admit—a resentment by Deaf parents toward their hearing children. It’s usually subconscious, but I’ve had a lot of CODA friends who spent years in therapy trying to deal with the trauma of being casually unwanted.

He shakes his head again. ‘Things got weird when they found out I was gay. They’re very religious. Conservative. Tried the whole conversion therapy thing with me,’ he adds, spelling the phrase. It sends cold shivers down my spine. ‘I ran away from home. Started my career as a camboy. My older brother found it. They pretend I died.’

My eyes go wide. ‘Actually died?’

He shrugs. ‘They had a funeral for me.’

Holy. Fuck. This man has been through too much, and I feel an urge to wrap around him and protect him. I understand why Archie’s protective now.

When I shift a little closer, Nico smiles at me. ‘You don’t need to look at me like that. I’m okay now. A lot of therapy. I make good money. I’m just trying to figure out what I want with my life. I feel better now that Archie asked me to stay here.’

Something heavy and insecure hits me in the chest, and I swallow. ‘Archie?’

He blinks at me. ‘What about him?’

‘Do you…are you in love with him? Is he what you want?’

He stares, then throws his head back in laughter. I can only just make out some of the rumble, and I feel like a jackass, but when he smiles at me, there’s no mocking in it. And no resentment.

‘I love Archie, but not like that. And even if I did, it wouldn’t matter. He is so in love with you.’

Warmth rushes through me. ‘I know.’

‘This is my family here. They’re important to me. When I feel unsafe, I come sleep in their beds or bother Jasper until he threatens to kick me out. And it doesn’t feel bad when he does,’ Nico adds, ‘because he doesn’t mean it. He loves me as I am.’

I lean against him. ‘And you really want to be friends with me?’

His smile widens. ‘Yes. I really want to be friends. Best friends. I miss having Deaf in my life, but I would never go back to my birth family.’

I take his hand and squeeze it. ‘I have Deaf family—not blood—here. They will love you.’

‘Fayid,’ he signs and pulls a face.

I fight back a laugh. ‘Give him a chance. He’s awkward, but he means well. And I promise if you get to know him, you’ll see he’s not cruel. He’s just a giant nerd.’

Nico looks uncertain, but eventually, he sighs and tugs me closer. ‘I trust you.’

I don’t know why that means so much, but I tuck it close to my chest and hold it as tightly as I hold him.

28

DENVER

Percy staresat me with narrowed eyes and a very distinctyou must be fucking kidding melook on his face.

“You are not going out,” he says with both his voice and his hands, like he can’t believe I would ask.

Beside me, Nico makes an annoyed noise. “What do you think’s going to happen? You literally have the person who attacked him immobilized in the shed.”

“He’s not the only person in town interested in causing trouble,” Percy says.

I try not to get too involved in their business, but I have to wonder what that means. The words are general, but his tone is very specific.

“My brother loves me, but he won’t hesitate to kill me in a very, very painful way if something happens to either of you,” Percy says.