About Scars
by Jessica Freely
33 pages
/ 15000 words
Available file types - html. lit, pdf, prc
For David, being with Seth means an end to the loneliness that was his day-to-day reality. As for Seth, his entire world has changed overnight. Thanks to David he has a warm, safe place to sleep and a purpose, protecting the man he loves. But keeping David out of danger won't be easy. The night they met, Seth killed a local gang member, and the police are looking for the killer, while the gang is out for revenge.
Meanwhile, David has a lot of questions about Seth's past. How did he wind up living on the street, and what about those scars on his back? Now, new information links Seth to another murder five years ago. David is determined to learn the truth, but he might find out more than he wants to know. Read the first David and Seth stories in Jessica Freely's popular Sips, Hero and Stay!
Sample
The bell on the door of the Haverstock Book Shop jingled as David opened it. Mr. Haverstock, his boss, sat behind the antique, carved oak counter near the door, poring over an accounts ledger. He looked up and smiled.
Mr. Haverstock was in his seventies. He was short and round, with a fringe of white hair around his bald pate and a pink complexion. He wore a battered tweed jacket and his blue eyes twinkled behind round, wire-framed glasses. "Hello, David, how are you today?"
David was unable to keep his grin entirely to himself. Last night had started out nearly as bad as a night could be. He'd been mugged and nearly raped by some local gang members, but then he'd met Seth, and Seth had changed everything. "Fine, Mr. Haverstock, and you?"
"Well enough for an old man, well enough." Mr. Haverstock closed the ledger and sat back, his head tilted to one side as he appraised David. "I must say, you look like the sunny side of the street today, son."
David found himself blushing, which only made him more flustered. He shrugged. "Oh… uh…"
The urge to tell Mr. Haverstock everything was strong, but, well, he'd never really broached the subject of being gay with Mr. Haverstock before. He didn't think his boss would freak out or anything, it was just… not really something you discussed with a seventy-year-old book collector.
"Well." Mercifully, Mr. Haverstock collected his pen and the ledger and stood. "It's nice to see you happy." He bustled out from behind the counter and headed down the store's main aisle toward the back room. "I'll get you your check."
David made a quick circuit of the store, shelving any books left sitting around by the customers. The shop was cozy, as opposed to spacious, with closely-spaced shelves and numerous nooks and crannies. Though tiny compared to the chain outlets, they compensated by catering to the wants of their clientele. They had a good science fiction section, a solid mystery department, and their romance selection eschewed the bulk of the genre in favor of niche subgenres like paranormal and LGBT. Their crowning glory, though, was their rare and collectible section. This was Mr. Haverstock's passion. He loved nothing better than to hunt down an out-of-print title for a customer, or for himself, for that matter. David often thought Mr. Haverstock had missed his calling. The way he followed up leads and researched his quarry's background, he should have been a detective.
"Did you hear about the killing?"