kept the truth from you. Not because I don’t care, but because I thought it was the best thing for you, so you could keep living the life you obviously cherish right now. But no matter what you think or feel, I’m going to keep doing my job, not because of my orders, but because it’s the right goddamn thing to do. Because someone like you, who has somehow stayed strong and warm after everything, deserves to be kept safe.”
Warm hands cupped his face, and Jacob realized that at some point, he’d taken to his feet. Everything had poured from him in a series of waves, crashing upon one another. There were things he’d said he had never realized he’d felt until he dug them up and threw them out onto Levi’s lap. They were the truth, though, and his honesty had ripped at his chest and left his throat raw.
Levi stared up at him, and Jacob couldn’t begin to understand the emotion he was seeing reflected in the man’s eyes. But he could see how beautiful they were and how absolutely earnest Levi was.
“Okay,” Levi said softly.
It was just one word, but Jacob felt his fury and fire break in the face of it. He sagged forward, letting his face rest in Levi’s hands. They were warm and work-roughened, but they were the gentlest things Jacob had ever felt caress his skin.
“Okay,” Levi repeated.
Jacob wrapped Levi up in his arms and buried his face in the man’s neck. He smelled of the forest, some faint cologne, and the barest hint of blood. Jacob held him close, hoping against hope that he would do this right, that he wouldn’t watch another innocent person torn apart by the world. He had seen it happen far too often.
Let him do this one good thing. That was all he wanted.
Levi
It took the better part of an hour before Jacob calmed down. Levi still didn’t know how to process the entire meltdown that he’d been witness to. Hell, he couldn’t even process how he had been the one Jacob had chosen to bare his soul to. It wasn’t as if they knew one another all that well. They’d known each other for all of a couple of weeks. What did that say about what sort of people Jacob had in his life that he couldn’t be that open with them.
Or maybe, he really hadn’t been lying about caring about Levi, and that’s where the trust had come from.
“So,” Levi said, breaking the silence. “What are we going to do?”
Jacob watched him for several seconds, his expression unreadable. Levi waited, not sure if it had been his words or just the man’s emotional outburst that had him suddenly at a loss for words.
“I need to contact the DDI,” Jacob said.
Levi had been afraid of that. “Why?”
“Because if 2218 is really willing to pull in that many people to try to kill you, then we’re going to need more than just you and I out here. No offense, but a guy with a ghost pal and a single trained soldier aren’t going to be enough.”
That was the explanation he’d feared as well. Levi had seen how many people and how much firepower the group had been willing to bring out.
“And I haven’t had service since we left the house. Well, before my phone died anyway,” Jacob added.
Levi let out a huff. “Okay, so we have to get to where there’s a signal.”
“Yeah, and the closest place we have is Gilcreek. The nearest town is like...a three day walk.”
“Probably four with the forest and mountains between us,” Levi told him.
“And we’re not exactly geared up for a hike through the wilderness. We’ve already got through the few food stocks I had with me. We need to get back to Gilcreek.”
Levi chewed his bottom lip. “You think they’re waiting for us.”
“We got away. And they’re going to know the area well enough to know we aren’t getting far on foot. And I’d bet they’re watching the major roads.”
“Road, singular.”
“Exactly. So, I’d prefer to make our way back to Gilcreek and see what the situation is. They’re still operating quietly, so that might work to our advantage.”
“Uh,” Levi began in disbelief. “What about that was quiet?”
“The fact that your house was a distance outside Gilcreek, and it was the middle of the night. If they were quick, they could have put out the fire and immediately done damage control in town.”
“Fucking hell. What kind of people are we dealing