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Safe.
Noise from the vans leaving the colosseum, shouts of fear, and the crack of settling debris force me back to the present. To the reality that I am not safe. And there’s only one place I know I will be.
I desperately want to get back to Gavin. To the shelter of our home. His protection.
Tell watches me fight with myself for a few seconds before he leans down, looking me in the eye. “Hellena… take my car. Go home to Gavin. I want you to be safe. To feel safe.”
Suddenly, the thought of leaving him makes me feel cold. Frightened. “Come with me?”
“I can’t. Tyler Jr. just got lost, scared shitless, you know?” He smirks at his joke.
“What are you going to do?” I hear the answer before he can answer, shouts in the hallway. My name. They’re looking for me.
“I'm going to stay here and cover for you and for myself.”
“Why do you have to cover for yourself?”
He smiles sadly, looking down at his clothes. They’re smoldering, stained with ash.
The keys are tucked into my hand and he’s running for the doorway as it starts to dawn on me. Of course, he can’t resist one look back. In classic Tell swagger, he grins, taking my breath away. “Who do you think set off the distraction so you could escape, Hella?”
And he’s gone.
My drive home is deadly silent aside from the ringing in my ears. The tremors in my hands. Halfway there, I start I feel the tears come, the burning sensation behind my eyes, and I try to fight them at first, but soon, sobs are racking my chest.
I hold it together enough to see the road to find the turn off to the back way home.
Everything's falling apart. I should have known I should have been ready. But how could I have been ready for this? For my entire world to come crashing down again.
But that's just it. There's always another floor to fall through.
There's always another hole underneath the basement waiting to swallow you up.
There's always another Marco Vice just waiting.
With chains in his hands to lock you back up to take away your life.
That's what it's like for people like me.
We do the best we can, we scrape by, we survive, but we're never free.
I can barely walk by the time I get to the house, my feet dragging with exhaustion emotionally, spiritually, and physically. I danced my heart out and had the best sex of my life.
My heart's wrecked in shattered little pieces. Evan, Tell, but inside, there's at least one person I can still rely on.
Forget the fact that he works for the heads of this organization. Whether he knows it or not. Forget the fact that he's a killer. Forget the fact that he lives a dangerous life. I know I can always trust Gavin.
The door is halfway open when I hear his cry.
Gavin, crying out in pain.
30
GAVIN
“Gavin!” I hear her shout, rushing through the house, shoving my door open.
She bursts in, the bathroom door slamming against the wall.
