Page 187 of Adored

He dropped like a bag of rocks.

Von really needed to get better mercenaries. These were shitty at their jobs.

After retrieving the knife, he wiped it on the man’s clothing, and tucked it back into the hilt that he’d also stolen from the dead mercenary.

Then, he headed toward the cemetery to see what he and his husband were up against.

If Poe was hurt…

He was going to burn down the world and Von Donore in it.

He could bet on that.

Meanwhile…

Poe was digging, and he was taking his time too. There was no way he was not holding out hope, and faith, that Gamble would be okay.

Deep down, he was horrified that he was going to have to defile his brother’s grave, but he’d do it to make sure he had a chance to see Gamble again.

After all, Hemmingway started all of this, and if his brother was alive, he would have kicked his ass for this.

When he sat down to take a break, the man with the gun pointed at him and didn’t seem to care if he was tired or not.

He wasn’t, but again, he needed to stall.

As he got sweaty, and this wasNOTthe plan he’d had when he told Gamble they’d be doing just that, the other man was having a good old time.

Tormenting him.

“I bet your Marine didn’t last long. The pretty ones don’t. I’m going to bet that someone gave some commanders head to get those awards.”

Poe said nothing.

There was no way he was giving him any information on his husband.

What he knew…

He would take it to his grave.

As for Gamble surviving, he was tough, and he was a Hunter. There was no doubt he’d handle it.

“You’re lucky, Doctor. Von is having mercy with you because he really believes you have no clue as to what your brother did. It had better stay that way, or he’ll make your life hell.”

Poe was about to tell him to fuck off, but he stopped. Then, he changed his mind.

“For the record, shit for brains,” he said, throwing down his shovel. “My husband is an honorable Marine, nothing you’d know anything about. I’m going to bet you dropped out or were booted. You have the common markers of…what would that be? Oh, a chicken shit who betrayed his country.”

The man stood taller and moved toward him.

“What did you say?”

“Oh, are you deaf too? Let me say it louder.You. Are. A. Big. Stupid. Coward!”

When the man raised his arm, Poe was ready to die. Gamble was probably already gone, and he didn’t want to be here in life without him.

He was all he had left.

“You’ll regret that,” the man said.