Sequel to Black Lace
Brenton is a famous rock start. He’s also bisexual and closeted, despite the band’s very open nature. When Zeke comes to work for them, Brenton can’t help but be tempted by him. However, he has far bigger problems when he finds a picture that’s been shoved under his door. The band has dealt with stalkers before, but this time Brenton seems to be the focus.
Zeke has a hidden life that’s also captured the stalker’s interest. Can Brenton put his baggage aside to win over Zeke and survive the stalker who wants to do them harm?
When Brenton opens it, there's another glossy photo. It's not of a dark room this time. It's outside, bright and sunny. It's a picture of him in the park earlier. It's at one of the points that Zeke got quite far ahead, so he's not in the frame of the photo, but Brenton knows he must have been there. The picture is definitely from today because he's wearing the same workout clothes.
He turns it over to see if there's another message. And there is, carefully printed, this time in red.
And the fox runs from the hare.
"What does it say? Watching you, again?" Zeke asks.
"No." Brenton reads out loud what the photo says.
"What?" Zeke's voice sounds strange, and he looks a little pale.
"It says, And the fox runs from the hare. I don't know what it means. Are you okay?" Brenton asks, confused.
"I wrote that," Zeke says, voice shaky and barely audible.
"What are you talking about?"
Zeke shakes his head. He's staring at the photo in Brenton's hand. "Before I tell you ... Please, I know I haven't known you long, but please don't tell Jamie. I don't want my family to know." Zeke looks slightly panicked, and Brenton gets that. He gets not wanting your family to know something, but he doesn't understand what Zeke's secret is.
"Okay, I promise," Brenton says. He's completely confused by Zeke's behavior, and he's freaked out that someone was watching him run and wants him to know he was being watched.
"I write poetry. That line is from one of my poems," Zeke says softly, and Brenton doesn't get why Zeke doesn't want his family to know that, but then, he doesn't know Zeke that well.
"Does that mean they've been in your apartment? That they've seen something you wrote? Maybe they saw you at my place and followed you home?" Brenton asks, worried.
"It could have happened that way, but the poems, they're not just a hobby. I'm published under a penname, but there are plenty of copies of my books out there." Zeke looks embarrassed as he talks.
"Books? As in plural? You have multiple books of poetry published?" Brenton asks.
"Only ten." Zeke blushes slightly.
"Ten? That's incredible. Why don't you want your family to know? You must be successful to have that many books published. Maybe they'd get off your back about you getting a job if they knew you were a writer," Brenton says.
"Some of the poems are very personal. I don't want to share them with people I know. There are things my family doesn't know, questions my poems would raise. It's easier with me to share them with strangers who don't know who I really am," Zeke replies.
"Okay. I won't tell anyone. But you have to tell your ex, that Andy guy. Because it seems my stalker is quoting you-that he knows who you are. That's creepy. Do you have a security system at your place? In case this person did find your poem by going into your apartment." Brenton hates the idea that he might have put Zeke in danger.
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