Closer: Bay City Paranormal Investigation, Book 4

slamming against his ribs. The first dawn light leaked around the curtains to lend a dim illumination to the room. Sam sat up and looked around, trying to figure out what had woken him. The dream he’d been yanked out of was just as horrible as the one from the previous morning, but it wasn’t what had disturbed Sam’s sleep. It was something else, some sort of noise or movement in the bedroom.
    A low, ragged moan drifted from the pile of covers bunched on the other side of the bed. Bo’s body jerked, throwing off the corner of the bedspread which had obscured his face. His brows were drawn together in fear or pain, or both. Little whimpers bled from his open mouth. When Sam laid a hand on Bo’s bare shoulder, he could feel Bo trembling.
    Sam frowned. In the short time he’d shared Bo’s bed, the man had never suffered nightmares. The fact that he seemed to be having one now of all times made Sam feel cold all over.
    “Bo, wake up.” He gave Bo’s shoulder a shake.
    With a sharp cry, Bo shot to a sitting position, panting like he’d just sprinted a mile. His wide-eyed gaze darted around the room. The fear melted from his eyes when they met Sam’s.
    “Fuck.” He flopped onto his back. “God, I’m glad you woke me up.”
“You’ve never had nightmares before,” Sam pointed out, keeping his tone carefully neutral. He lay down beside Bo and propped himself up on one elbow. “What was it about?”
“Damned if I know.” Bo tugged at a lock of tangled black hair lying across his chest. “I don’t remember anything specific. Just…weird images. They were terrifying when I was dreaming them, but I couldn’t even tell you what they were now.”
“Strangely enough, I just woke up from another dream like I had yesterday morning. And now you’re having them too.” Sam licked his lips, hoping his next words didn’t touch off an angry tirade. “Was this nightmare anything like what you saw at the fort?”
“Not really, except for the general sense of fear, and not being able to breathe properly.” Bo darted a pointed look at him. “I know what you’re thinking, Sam, but I really don’t believe the two are related. I don’t usually have nightmares, that’s true, but I have had a few in my life. The hallucinations I had last night probably triggered one, that’s all.”
A hard chill raced up Sam’s spine. “I thought you said it only happened once.”
“It did.”
“Then why did you just say ‘hallucinations’, plural, like it happened more than once?”
A muscle twitched in Bo’s jaw. “I didn’t mean to say that. I meant to say ‘hallucination’, singular.”
“But—”
“For God’s sake, Sam, drop it!”
Anger and frustration boiled up inside Sam and bubbled over. He kept his voice calm with an effort. “I will not drop it. This is important. I’m sure of it.”
Sighing, Bo pressed both palms to his eyes. “Look. I know you’re worried, and I understand why. But one strange feeling during the investigation and one nightmare do not add up to anything dangerous, or even concerning.”
“Even though I had a very similar dream yesterday morning, and again just now?” Sam persisted. “Even after the dreams at Oleander House?”
“This is nothing like Oleander House.” Turning onto his side, Bo folded an arm beneath his head and gazed into Sam’s eyes with a pleading expression. “Don’t you think I’d tell you if I felt this was anything to worry about? Do you really think I’d put everyone in danger by keeping it to myself?”
“No, of course not.” Sam tucked Bo’s hair behind his ear, fingers brushing his neck. “But I don’t think you’re seeing this situation clearly.”
Bo’s fingers curled, bunching the sheet between them. He looked away. “What makes you think I’m not being clearheaded about this?”
“I don’t know, exactly.” It was hard for Sam to say, but it was true. He couldn’t lie to Bo, no matter how difficult it might be to tell the truth. “All I know is, you’re not acting like yourself. And that worries me.”
With an impatient noise, Bo kicked the covers aside and started to get up. Sam wrapped both arms around his waist and rolled on top of him, pinning him to the bed.
“Let me up,” Bo growled, dark eyes flashing.
“No.”
“Sam…”
Fisting a hand in Bo’s hair, Sam leaned down and kissed him until the angry tension melted from his body and his mouth opened beneath Sam’s.
The kiss went on for endless, blissful minutes.