Page 286 of Assassin

“Fix me. Please. I don’t want to be broken anymore, and I don’t feel safe anywhere but here with you. I need you to show me how to live again.”

It was the first step.

“I can try.”

When Gamble didn’t let go of him, but instead stayed against his body, his warm breath on his neck, Poe knew it was going to be a long sixty days.

Here he was, with a guy he felt something for, and he was going to have to put that aside as his therapist.

He was going to have to not react, and not want the man, even when he knew he did.

Well, that should end well.

In heartbreak.

But for who?

Yeah, may God have mercy on his soul.

Poe Seville was going to need it. In the end, he was going to have to say goodbye.

For good.

* * * H U N T E R – C R O F T * * *

Salem, MA

Saturday Night

Her Hidey-Hole

Late At Night

Sometimes, a girl had to get away, take a break, and regroup. It had nothing to do with anyone else, or not being happy, but instead, it had to do with taking a mental hiatus to ensure that she could fight another day.

And that was exactly what Alyona was doing.

Taking a break.

With the Crofts back from New Orleans, and Alexsandr Dominik handled, what she needed was to take a little hiatus to a place where she felt completely secure.

It had nothing to do with a bad guy.

Or the good guys.

It simply had everything to do with her.

Over the last few weeks, her mental health had been battered, bruised, and kicked to Hell and back. It had been borderline overwhelming.

Over that stretch of time, Alyona fought demons, Russians, and people coming at her every which way.

And she was tired.

Bone.

Weary.

Tired.

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