Chapter Seven
The Grotto
Same Time
A t his words, Poe just sat there, trying to think of what he could say. Maybe, asking him about his current career was a bad idea. Gamble was silent, and Poe felt like he’d intruded in something private.
This was awkward.
“Surprised, Doctor?” Gamble asked. “Shocked that the man you’ve been helping heal is a murderer? You saw who I work with, and on the day you picked me up, Greyson Croft was there.”
Poe was aware.
Only, he knew this man.
There was no way he was a murderer.
Gamble was a good, sweet, and kind person. He loved horses, and he enjoyed a prank.
“I think that perception is misleading,” he stated. “I’ve gotten to know you, and I can tell you’re not a murderer. I’ve never felt safer with anyone, and I’ve lived in the minds of the damaged, Gamble.”
He said nothing.
“Who did you kill?” he asked.
He laughed.
Who didn’t he kill?
“You don’t have to tell me. It was just conversation,” Poe said. “If it’s private, it’s private. I am, after all, your doctor. You have doctor-patient confidentiality.”
And Gamble didn’t like that.
He didn’t want the man to hide behind that. What he wanted was for the man to be able to see the real him so that maybe, just maybe, they’d have a chance.
That he’d have a chance at life again after Storm.
“The Hunters are a group of mercenaries who work for the United States government. That’s basically Elizabeth Blackhawk. We were created to keep the port safe. You’d be surprised what has tried to cause shit here.”
He listened.
“I’ve helped them keep it safe, and that’s how I met Storm. For a while, I hated them,” he admitted. “Because they put her and I together. After being with you, I’ve realized that fate is in control—not them. I’ve also learned that I have to be accountable, and not blame them for that path I took.”
Poe let him keep talking.
They had trust between them, and that took weeks to build. He wouldn’t judge him.
He’d let him be himself.
“Elizabeth would show up, give us a job, and we’d handle it. So yes, I’ve killed people. Were any of them innocent? No. Not in the US government’s eyes.”
He stared down at the fish, and wouldn’t look at Poe.
With gentle fingers, he lifted his chin, so he had to look at him.
“You’re a hero, Gamble.”
He laughed.
“I’m not, Doctor. I’m really not,” he admitted. If the man could get a look into his head, he’d realize that wasn’t the case. What he was craving with Poe was anything but heroic.
It was raw.
It was desperation.
It was unquenched need.
The man managed to heal him, and turn his libido back on. That made him a miracle worker. It also made him the fixation of that need.
“That’s what we do. Please, keep that to yourself. We don’t tell anyone about who or what we are.”
That he’d told him, Poe knew there was a reason.
“You can trust me, Gamble.”
He stared into his eyes.
“I know, or I wouldn’t have shared that with you. That’s my family. You have yours, and I have mine. They aren’t blood, but they are just as important.”
He understood that.
Poe knew that family mattered, even if his mother was always trying to ram women down his throat.
Ironically, had she tried a man…
He wouldn’t have stayed in the US.
Then, he wouldn’t have met Gamble. To Poe, that was more important. This was fate making connections, and while it was likely temporary, it mattered to him.
DEEPLY.
“Are you planning to keep doing what you do?” Poe asked. “Not inquiring as your doctor. Asking as your friend.”
Gamble didn’t want a friend.
He wanted more.
Well, he wanted more until this mess happened, and he realized that Poe would be in danger if he stuck around.
“I’m not sure now. You know, with the mercenaries after us. I might keep hunting. I might not.”
There was a lot that had to go into that.
Poe said nothing.
He knew that when this was over, he’d have to release Gamble, and they’d never see each other again. The kisses were spectacular, but that was all they were.
Poe would risk it all.
For more.
Not less.
“I’ll make my mind up at some point, Doctor,” he admitted. “I do owe it all to you, though. I survived because you refilled that well that was empty. Tonight, I’ll go out and get us what we need to survive,” he admitted. “We’ll be okay. I need to get a message to The Hunters or Elizabeth,” he added.
That sounded dangerous, and Poe knew it.
“We can survive in here for a while, but they won’t stop hunting me. You heard them. I’m just sorry that you helping me did this to you. For that, I’ll always have regrets.”
Poe didn’t want him to regret anything tied to him. The mere idea that he did…it was upsetting.
Poe wouldn’t regret a second of this. He was seeing a new life, and having an adventure. There was more out there besides work.
Because their food was done, he picked up the cooked fish, and handed Poe one of the sticks.
They began eating.
Honestly, it was pretty good, and both men had been hungry.
Poe was curious.
“Since we’re partners, what’s the plan?” he asked. “You know, so we can get this handled.”
He paused, and considered it. Honestly, the idea that the man wanted to be part of this and help him, gave Gamble that warm feeling in his belly.
Oh, he was fighting that desire and need, but it was still there, lingering.
Poe had been through a lot today, and he was still holding on.
“My plan is to figure out what it is that I did, because god knows there’s a laundry list out there of things I’ve done for the government. That will lead me to WHO I’ve pissed off. Then, I need to get you to safety. Once I get us to The Hunters or Elizabeth, I’ll hand you over.”
Immediately, Poe stopped chewing.
That wasn’t what he was expecting.
“Hand me over?” Poe asked.
Well, that sounded ominous. What the hell happened to all of the partner talk? That sounded like he was being sent away.
Like a child.
He nodded.
“I’m going to have to get as far from you as possible so you’re not in danger. Clearly, my past isn’t conducive to you having a future.”
And there it was.
That was his worst fear.
It was now confirmed.
Through it all, he was never going to see the man again. Despite his words of partnership, it wasn’t what he’d really meant.
Obligation.
That’s what he was.
Poe said nothing, but Gamble sensed the change in temperature in the grotto. So, he tried to explain.
“Your life matters to me,” he admitted. “You’ve done good work, and you were right. If we can’t stop them, then I have to make sure you’re safe. I’m a ghost, Poe. I’ll disappear. I’ll take a new identity, and never be seen again.”
And that hurt.
It hurt so bad, he couldn’t even articulate words. It was a direct hit to his chest.
Now, it was crystal clear that Poe was going to lose him regardless. There had been a little joy knowing they were on an adventure together.
He felt…peace.
Now, knowing Gamble would get him to safety and disappear…
He needed to know.
“Will I ever see you again?” he asked. “After you hand me over?”
Gamble was staring into his eyes, and his gut said to walk away and never cross this man’s path again. Look at what had already happened.
“I don’t know, Poe. It depends on what chases me. I’ll get you somewhere safe, and figure out my next move. I might not be able to stay in NOLA,” he admitted. “I might not be able to be a Hunter. I’ll have to find a new path.”
Well, that sucked.
Poe just sat there, saying nothing, but his heart really hurt. He knew one day Gamble would be strong enough to move on, and that day was here. That he could say it, and not ask for more time again…
Gamble was better.
He was healed.
Now, somehow, Poe had to have the same strength to watch him leave and never come back.
As soon as Gamble finished his fish, he glanced at his watch.
It was noon.
He needed a nap, and not to have this discussion. It was breaking him in a way he never expected again.
His heart hurt.
“Thank you for fixing me, Poe. If I forget to tell you, I want you to know I appreciate everything you did for me to save me.”
That sounded like a goodbye.
And Poe knew it.
A part of him wanted to rage and fight, getting the man to stay. Another part of him knew he was too big of a coward to do any such thing.
He wasn’t a warrior.
He was…just a doctor.
“It has been my pleasure,” he admitted, sad to know his time was almost up. “Whatever happens, Gamble, thank you for coming into my life. It’s been an…adventure, and I’ll never forget a single solitary second of it.”
At his words, Gamble’s heart skipped.
He heard the emotion.
“I’m going to catch a few hours of sleep,” he admitted. “I have to head out when it starts to get dark. It’s a few hours back to your home, and then back here. I’ll be gone around five hours.”
Poe sat there.
He was struggling to think.
“And if they catch you?” he asked, knowing that he would be trapped in here between the spiders and the unknown.
ALONE.
Like he’d be when Gamble walked away from him healed and himself again.
Poe was destined to be alone.
Forever.
Why wasn’t he surprised?
A big, strong man like Gamble, and a nerdy doctor like himself were never going to have a chance. This wasn’t some fairytale.
It was life, and it hurt more often than not.
Poe had no chance in Gamble’s world.
NONE.
The man worked for the government and saved people from the bad guys. Where could he possibly fit into that?
Poe already knew the answer.
Because he could feel the tension, Gamble leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips. It wasn’t like he wanted to leave. Only, he’d never risk Poe for his past. The man pieced him back together again, making him whole.
If this was about his past, then he would make sure Poe was safe.
He owed him that.
He owed him everything.
When he stopped kissing him, he stared into his eyes.
“Don’t worry. I won’t let you get hurt,” he promised. “I’ll get you home safe, and your life will continue. You’ll save so many more soldiers.”
And Poe knew one thing.
That didn’t sound like something he really wanted anymore. A lot had happened in the three hours they had been trekking here.
A lot had happened in the three months they were together.
Now, Poe understood why his brother liked an adventure. He understood why he told him to have some fun, and not always be so serious.
He was finally living.
Poe had finally found someone who made him want to live, and he would lose him.
Forever.
God.
Fate was an absolute cunt.
He knew what love was now, and he’d have to never feel that again because of Fate’s sick sense of humor.
To get some rest, Gamble went over to the flat stone, and he laid on his side.
The whole time, Poe watched him. He was trying to get comfortable, and not succeeding. Only, Gamble wasn’t complaining at all.
He was making the best of it.
In that moment, Poe wanted to spend as much of the last days they had together. He saw the writing on the wall now, and he’d have to watch Gamble leave at some point.
So, he opted to be close to him.
Getting up, Poe headed his way.
When he sat by his head, he patted his lap.
“Put your head here. I’ll be your pillow for a few hours,” he offered. “You need to be able to rest if you’re going to do that trek twice tonight.”
He appreciated it.
Gamble saw the sadness in his eyes. It was the same sadness that he’d seen the last few days as the end of their time was coming up.
It made him wonder what the man was feeling because Poe hadn’t said anything.
Yes, he kissed him.
Yes, he wanted him sexually, but Poe hadn’t really attempted to get him to stay.
A part of him wanted Poe to tell him not to go, or to take him with him, but that was ridiculous.
He was a doctor with a life here. What could Gamble give him?
NOTHING.
Gamble could barely give himself a life. Look what happened to Storm when he tried to be a partner.
Only, he wanted what time they had left to just feel something. If he had to go on the lam, and go under, he’d never see him again.
Moving, he put his head in the man’s lap, and Poe soothed him by touching his hair. He’d done that for him when he first came to his home when he had a nightmare. It was cathartic, and it helped him calm down.
“Thanks, Poe,” he said, yawning.
As the man settled down, Poe sat there.
And now, he was faced with a whole other sadness that he was feeling.
He suspected that out of the blue, Gamble was going to disappear forever, and he’d never hear from him again.
And that broke a piece of him.
Indefinitely.
It looked like the adventure was over, and the heartbreak was about to begin.
* * * Hunters * * *
The Concrete Lair
MATE’S Home
Area Fifty-Two
When Elizabeth and Maura came out of a closed room, they seemed to have rectified a whole lot.
As for the family, they just sat there and waited. The whole time the two women were locked away, the family was edgy.
Honestly, no one wanted to tangle with the Addiction and El Gato mess again. If that piece of shit worked for The BlackStone Group , at some point, that told them all they needed to know about what they were up against.
El Gato took MONTHS to handle.
And it nearly got them killed.
It nearly got Maura killed.
“What’s going on?” Rogue asked, since Jagger looked angsty, and he wasn’t saying shit.
Likely so he didn’t lose his temper.
Elizabeth went there.
“I was vetted in by the Pentagon thanks to the president, and she’s right. You’re going to have to trust me on this. What I need is something completely different now. You’re not to even worry about the money.”
They all waited.
Oh, this was going to be bad.
“Also, fuck finding who killed the soldiers. That is also not priority here.”
All of the family members looked around at each other. If they weren’t looking for the money or the murderers, who the hell were they looking for?
That was hella confusing.
Merry was already tracking any attempt to access the cryptocurrency.
Gene had been using the names of the dead soldiers who had been on that base to find anyone connected to The BlackStone Group .
They began working on that already. Now, they were to stop?
Even Jagger, who never questioned the Major a day in his life, was standing there, and he was confused by all of this too.
“What do you want us to do then?” he asked, staring into his wife’s eyes.
She was upset.
He knew Maura the best.
His woman was doing battle with this, and he didn’t like that she was worried.
She was, after all, pregnant.
Elizabeth was to the point.
“Your new directive is this. You’re to find Von Donore, and end him. Put on the Marine fatigues,” she said. “He’s got paramilitary, and so do we. We’re going to play the same game he is. He wants to send out mercenaries to infiltrate this city, well, he’s in for a surprise. This place already has them.”
They waited.
“Take out the head of The BlackStone Group . You’ve been authorized by the President of the United States to get the job done.”
Well, shit.
That said it all.
You knew it was bad when the President of the United States was authorizing a hit on a non-citizen. That meant that Von Donore’s own country was offering him up to the US as a target.
The UK and US were bed buddies when it came to shit like this.
Elizabeth was to the point.
“There’s a bounty on his head. Figure out a way to get to him. While you do that, the people here will be working on connecting the dots to see what this missing money and BlackStone have in common. They’ll start tying up the loose ends.”
Well, it looked like they were playing ‘kiss me fuck me’ with the bad guys.
AGAIN.
As they were talking, the massive steel door opened, and in came Zayn. He was with his wife and children.
Apparently, they wanted to get back to a safe place.
“I couldn’t get the nanny back in time,” he said. “Tag, you bitches are on baby duty while I work,” he said. Then, he pointed at Elizabeth.
“I am checking your bag and pockets before you leave. You can’t be trusted,” he said. “Go ahead. Coo over the baby. Then, put her down and back up. You have three minutes. Anything past that is kidnapping.”
She snorted.
Oh, he was funny.
Because he was going to let her, there was no way Elizabeth was missing out on that.
Elizabeth practically vaulted over the couch to get to the baby. She nearly took out Gene in the process.
He ducked just in time, so he wasn’t clocked with a boot.
When she reached her, Stella willingly handed the little girl over.
She sniffed her.
“I love the new baby smell. That’s how I got so many kids. It’s worth it,” she admitted, holding the baby in her arms like a pro.
Stella just smiled.
“She’s so good. Clearly, she takes after me,” she said with a straight face.
Zayn just shook his head.
“I’m not falling into that trap,” he stated. “Not happening, my sweet and tricky Stella.”
The rest of the women circled the baby.
“We’ll watch them,” Maura admitted. “This is the safest place to bring kids,” she added.
And that was why they were there. When he got a package on his porch, and heard the family had a job, this was a no-brainer.
It was work time for him.
Stella could handle the girls, and they would be safe with his family. The Hunters were his tribe.
When Clover held up her arms, Jinx picked her up and cuddled her.
“We got you. I’ll babysit Clover,” she said. “I miss our kids, Rogue.”
He laughed.
“Try prying them out of my mother’s hands. Go ahead. She’s loco.”
Grace had a rule.
She watched the kids during the day.
PERIOD.
If you tried to stop her, she got mean. When Rogue argued that, she cut the toes out of all of his socks.
Someone was unhinged.
Oh, and spiteful.
Elizabeth shook her head.
“No, Jinx, You’re going out. Rogue isn’t. He’s on research,” she said. “He’s going to be manning the command center in case we need his particular skills.”
That was all she had to say.
Rogue choked on his coffee and stared at Elizabeth like she’d lost her goddamn mind.
“Pardon?” he asked. “Not the last part. The first part.”
Elizabeth was to the point.
“She’s a Snake. Only Marines are going out. Zayn, Jagger, Jinx, and Maura. We aren’t losing our greatest assets of not having a Snake onboard.”
As if timed perfectly, the door opened again, and in walked Eve, and she was in gear.
THREE DAYS AFTER CHILDBIRTH .
Behind her, lugging baby things, and with Violet was Dakota, and he had the same stink face on that Rogue had.
Oh, and Jagger.
“Did someone need backup?” Eve asked.
Stella stared at her.
“Why does she get to have a gun and go out?” she asked. “I gave birth days ago. She literally just popped a kid out three days ago.”
Zayn didn’t miss a beat.
“Because Mamba and Adder are batshit insane, and their husbands can’t control the crazy. I can. That’s why you can’t have a gun.”
Dakota was bum-rushed by Elizabeth, who was already holding a baby.
“Give me the boychild,” she said. “Now.”
He passed Cash off and Elizabeth somehow managed to cuddle and coddle Tulip and Cash at the same damn time. That was some mothering skills right there.
Dakota could barely handle one kid at a time.
He clued them in.
“My wife insisted on coming here,” he said, as Violet went and hugged Maura. “I’m not happy. She assured me that her uterus is fine. I think that’s bullshit, but she’s not listening to me. I also can’t get near her uterus for six weeks to see if she’s lying to me.”
She reassured him, again.
“Babe, he was an easy birth. You saw how quickly he came out, and how Rogue and Jagger caught him.”
That had Zayn’s attention.
“Wait. They saw the garden of Eve?” he asked. “ALL OF IT?”
Dakota sighed.
“And here we go. Thanks, my love. My life just got bitchier.”
Zayn grinned.
“How come no one told me about this part?” he asked. “You know, the garden of Eve.”
Merry took a stab at it.
“Because you’re a cuntasaurus and would make inappropriate comments that piss Dakota off. Oh, and he paid us all off.”
Dakota actually laughed.
He didn’t pay them off, but Merry was funny. Honestly, he needed a laugh right about now or he was going to lose his damn mind.
Jagger whistled, getting everyone’s attention. They all turned and stared at him.
They had something to settle.
His wife was going out?
Oh, hell, no.
“What do you mean Maura is going out too?” he asked, staring at his wife. “The whole reason I was good with this was she was NOT going out.”
She shrugged.
“This was bumped to my kind of mission. We’re hunting, and look at that! I’m in charge of THE HUNTERS .”
He stared at her and he’d been to this rodeo enough times that he knew he wasn’t going to win.
He was only going to make her cranky.
“We’re going to have a long conversation, Maura Gaines-Mars-Armstrong,” he admitted, using her full name.
She figured as much.
“I’ll be masked up. As long as I stay that way, you’re going to need me to help. I won’t be doing the kill shot. That’s going to likely be some Snakes.”
That did help him calm down.
“A pregnant Snake and a postpartum Snake?” Boone asked. “Well, that’s enough hormones to kill any man. Von Donore is a deadman,” he stated.
On that, Maura agreed.
“You heard Elizabeth,” Maura admitted. “We have our mission. We’re to kill the head of The BlackStone Group . Find me a connection,” she said.
Jagger was befuddled, annoyed, and curious.
What the hell went on in that room behind closed doors between the two women?
Something, apparently.
When MATE appeared, she warned them.
“We have a car approaching. Inside, there are two people, and another one restrained in the back.”
At that, panic ensued.
So, before Zayn could get to the bazooka in the gun room, she calmed them down.
“That’s for me,” she said. “MATE, unlock the hidden door,” she added. “Alert them I’ll meet them down there.”
Now, everyone was curious the second she said that, and it brought up a myriad of questions.
What hidden door?
Who was coming?
It looked like someone had some explaining to do.
“The hidden door?” Maura asked. “We have one of those?”
She nodded.
“Yeah, thus, the name.”
Zayn sighed.
“She booby trapped the house. We’re rats in here. That’s how she comes and goes without us knowing.”
She snorted.
“I landed on the goddamn roof with a luxury Apache helicopter that I borrowed from the government. I didn’t sneak in. I literally walked inside.”
He still looked skeptical, so she explained.
“There’s a doorway on the outside that leads to an area that’s empty. It’s like the basement in Chartres. I need to use it.”
Jagger was curious.
“Who’s in the car, MATE?”
The system proved she was loyal to very few people, and Jagger was NOT one of them.
She did clue him in with the most MATE answer possible.
“Along came a spider that sat down beside her,” MATE said, walking through a wall without another word to them.
“Why can’t any women in this place just answer a straight question?” Zayn asked.
He was then proceeded to be hit with a pillow, a shoe, and he caught the empty coffee cup.
“Jesus,” he muttered. “Everyone had better stop having babies for a while. The hormones in here are insane.”
As for their visitors, that told them the Spiders were coming to visit. At least they’d not have access to the room they were in.
Zayn was looking mighty twitchy that his children were here, and strangers were entering.
“And in the trunk?” Zayn asked.
Elizabeth dropped the bomb.
“Being transported here is Captain Thomas Bernard. The Spiders picked him up for me on his day off as he was creeping on Chartres. We’re going to have a little talk before he either goes home to leave you guys alone, or falls into the swamp with my goddamn boot up his ass.”
In that moment, Gene said nothing.
Why?
He wasn’t one hundred percent sure she was kidding, or if he’d stop her.
The man was making everyone’s life a living hell, and someone had to stop him.
Even if it was him.
Ex’s were a freaking nightmare.
For sure.