Chapter 13
Nick came to in the back of an SUV. His hands were bound behind him. He struggled unsuccessfully to free them. He positioned himself so he could kick whomever opened the cargo door of the SUV with his heavy work boots, never imagining the person would simply reach between the back seats and place another ether soaked rag over his nose and mouth. His last panicked thought before passing out was, Oh, no! It's happening again!
Tracy wasn't sure what had awakened her, but she was suddenly awake, laying between Nick and Greg. She smiled, thinking back over the night.
After Nick's profession of love, she'd kissed him tenderly and whispered, "Careful, Cowboy, or people might get the impression that's the first time you've said those words."
Greg was dead to the world, she they'd worked together to get him into his jeans, then dressed themselves. Nick had scooped Greg up into his powerful arms, and they'd walked back home.
Now, Tracy was cuddled up against Greg. She sensed that Nick was laying with his back to her, towards the edge of the bed.
He was in the box again. Buried alive! Oh! God!
He needed to move, stretch aching muscles that had been forced into one position for far too long. And that damnable light! It would come on and the fan would go off, making the air stifling! He'd finally shot it, nearly emptying the clip into it. He'd managed to stop before firing off all the rounds. Just in case.
Tracy was drifting off, when the sound came again. That must have been what had awakened her earlier, she decided. It was a whimper of terror and despair that tore at her heart.
She rolled over, scooting up against Nick's back, "Nicky!"
Nick screamed, his arms and legs flailing wildly, then sat bolt upright. He opened his eyes, staring blankly ahead. He wouldn't acknowledge her.
Tracy sat facing Nick, taking his face in her hands, turning it so he was looking at her.
By now Greg had awakened, as well, and ran around the bed, sitting on the bedside next to Nick's legs. He took Nick's hands in his own.
After what seemed like an eternity, Nick blinked, finally meeting Tracy's eyes. His body began to shake, and great wracking sobs tore through him.
Tracy pulled him into her embrace, and Nick laid his head on her shoulder, fighting to resume his usually unflappable self-control.
Greg was rubbing Nick's back, and was the first to speak once Nick's sobs had subsided. "The coffin?"
A raspy, "Yeah!" escaped Nick. He finally sat up, looking at Tracy.
Nick claimed her mouth with his. This wasn't their usual slow and gentle love making, but urgent and rushed, an affirmation that he had escaped that hell hole and was still alive.
Greg and Tracy gave him everything they had, ignoring their own pleasure to ensure Nick took from them what he needed in this moment.
Tracy knew what had happened several years ago. News travels fast among crime labs, and soon everyone at the Miami Dade Crime Lab knew what had happened, and prayed that the Las Vegas CSI was found before it was too late. They had rejoiced when they got the news that he had been found, alive, and relatively unscathed. Tracy could just imagine the post traumatic stress Nick had gone through from his ordeal.
After their urgent coupling, the three were exhausted but not willing to sleep. Instead, they cuddled in the huge bed.
Tracy was surprised when Nick had insisted on being in the middle, but he told her it was being in confined spaces he didn't like. He could stand being confined by two people.
"How often do you have the nightmares?" Tracy asked, looking up into Nick's face from where her head rested on his shoulder.
"Every few months. Kind of depends on the amount of stress I'm under." Snorting softly, he said, "I had a neighbor complain that I screamed for half an hour straight, one day. And waking up alone from one of those..." he trailed off thinking that the next one he had, he would more than likely be alone again, as this cause would be solved, one way or another, by then.
"I still dream of getting beaten up, too. I know what you mean, about waking up alone, man," Greg said quietly, twining the fingers of his right hand with the fingers of Nick's left hand, where it rested on Greg's left shoulder. He pulled Nick's arm around his shoulder tightly, reassuringly.
"Look, I'm sorry about earlier. I hope I didn't hurt either of you," Nick said worriedly.
"It's okay! You needed reassurance, and we provided it. That's part of what love is," Greg replied.
Tracy grinned over Nick at Greg, "He professed his love for us at the party!"
"Damn! And I had to go and fall asleep," Greg muttered, mock angrily.
"I'll profess it again, then. Tracy, Greg, I love you both!"
Greg sobered, his grin disappearing, "What are we going to do? You know, after..." he trailed off.
"This was supposed to be such an easy undercover operation," Tracy sighed. "I had planned to just go back to my normal life. I couldn't walk away from the two of you if my life depended on it, now."
"What's everyone at the lab going to think?" Greg wondered? "Especially Cath?"
"You know, who cares what they think!" Nick, usually the most conservative person, burst out. "Ecklie won't let us stay on the same shift, Greg, but Tracy's already on a different shift. If you want, you could even quit so you can write full time. You're always complaining you don't have enough time for writing."
"You've already started thinking this through, haven't you, Nicky," it was more of a statement of fact, than a question. Greg didn't really expect an answer.
Nick reached across Tracy's shoulder with his right hand and traced her jaw with a fingertip. "This job takes a toll. I guess I've just been feeling my age lately. I want that whole house, and family thing, before it's too late. I was losing hope of ever finding someone to share that with, now I've got the two of you. I hope it doesn't scare you, but I'm going to hang on, and never let go."
Greg leaned over and kissed Nick, murmuring, "You've got me. I'm not going anywhere. We can work out the details later. Just know, I'm yours."
Tracy murmured her agreement, and the three finally drifted back into sleep.