Chapter Eighteen

Two weeks later….

“We can’t go back to my place,” Echo said.

Ice glanced up from the magazine he was reading. “I’m crashing in Seven’s spare room so…”

“We definitely don’t want to stay there.” Echo shook his head and then tossed his empty coffee cup in the plastic trash bag the airline stewardess held open.

They were on a flight home to deal with whatever the fuck was waiting for them and to try and figure out who had set them up and why. Echo didn’t like it at all—he still didn’t believe that Ice was fully recovered, but Ice was stubborn.

Damn, was he stubborn.

And hot.

And sexy.

Echo traced his eyes over the perfectly cropped beard and mustache where Ice’s long and loose blond strands caught in the small hairs.

“We should probably get a place that nobody knows about,” he said, reaching out and gently brushing Ice’s hair back.

Ice’s eyes were unreadable at the moment and Echo stared into the pale blue depths trying to see how Ice was absorbing his suggestion, but he came away with nothing. Ice had a poker face when it suited him.

“Or we can do separate—.”

“I’m good with one.” Ice smirked and Echo had to laugh.

He’d been doing that a lot lately, smiling—and he wanted more than anything to be back on his secluded hideaway with Ice, but they had monsters to slay.

He found Ice still staring at him. “What?”

“Nothing.”

“What?”

“I was just thinking that it’s too bad Savage and Thane aren’t with us,” Ice said.

“Same,” Echo agreed.

Savage and Thane had come to his home and they’d enjoyed a night of drinks and food on the beach. He had never had friends over like that before and had hesitated at first after telling Ice about them. Ice got over his jealousy hearing that Savage had a lover. When the pair arrived with food, wine, and jokes, the atmosphere had rocked. That night, the four of them had told stories by a fire on the beach and Echo couldn’t remember when he’d ever had such a good time with other people. Too bad the pair of assassins didn’t work for Erebus.

“Give them time,” Ice said, reaching over and taking his hand. “You told Savage you’d recommend him and Thane to Dave.”

“Yeah, but didn’t you see the look Savage gave me when I said that?”

“I did. It looked like surprise. Maybe he didn’t expect you to offer.”

Echo nodded and leaned his head back against the seat. It was definitely a bad idea to want friends in the assassin business. Hell, he even kept his distance from Rogue and Fisher and they’d all grown up together.

Yet, he couldn’t help think that if Savage and Thane worked for Erebus he could…

Could what?

Have someone to double date with? What the fuck was he thinking? He crushed the thought and turned his thoughts to Erebus as a whole.

They were the most unique group of assassins in the world. Nowhere else had Echo ever heard of someone gathering together a bunch of killers and setting them on a path to righteousness like Dave had. Assassins that worked as a team.

It was unprecedented.

It was admirable.

It was a disaster waiting to happen.

Solomon stared at the man holding the gun from across the desk.

“I told you to get Ice to leave, not have Echo shoot him.” He squeezed his hands into fists.

“You told me to take out Ice.” The man pulled off his hood and shook out his hair, gazing at him through dull gray eyes.

There was no humanity left in the face Solomon knew as well as his own. The boy he’d called Rogue was long gone and had been for years, but Solomon still missed him. The sneer and dead look on Rogue’s face was something he’d seen in the younger boy, only that boy had not been pointing a gun at him like now.

“I don’t recall saying that. I said to get rid of him,” Solomon said calmly.

Stunned, Rogue stared at the man he had considered a father of sorts for most of his life. A fucked up shitty one, but Solomon had been the only thing he’d had growing up.

“How else was I supposed to get rid of him?” Rogue said between his teeth.

“You were not supposed to involve Echo.” Solomon squeezed his fists where they rested on the desk and Rogue involuntarily took a step back, which pissed him off.

Was Solomon serious right now? If he had shot Ice, Echo would have never forgiven him. It was better this way.

“They are on the way back. Collect Echo and get rid of Ice.”

Rogue wondered if Solomon had a shred of humanity left inside. He didn’t think so, but he couldn’t be sure because he’d lost his own humanity while lying in his own shit locked inside a dog cage—waiting to be pointed at someone to kill.

Whirling toward the door, he knocked his long trench coat out of his way—it swirled around his black boots.

Rogue paused before leaving. Was there any use in saying any more? What else could he say? It was the same fucked up shit as always and his brain clicked over, going from dark into red war mode.

He suddenly thought of his brothers. Echo wasn’t too broken that he couldn’t be saved. Fisher was already past that point and too fucking damaged to last much longer.

And him?

He would live in permanent hell for his crimes.

He felt nothing. He was nothing.

He walked out.

LAX airport was busy.

He and Echo had decided on a hotel until they could get a place together. Making their way down the escalator, they stood just outside of the crowd that waited around baggage claim. It was there that they leaned against a far wall.

They’d checked a bag because Echo had brought his beloved daggers. They’d had to leave the weapons and other knives in a locker that Echo paid monthly on, but the assassin said they’d be collected and cared for while they were gone.

Echo stood upright from the wall suddenly and Ice slipped an arm around his shoulders, drawing him close.

It was hard not to feel the edge of the blade pressing against his shirt.

Right over his ribs.

Ice drew Echo tighter into his arms. Dipping his head down, he brushed his lips against the man’s ear.

“We need to split up,” Echo said on a rushed breath, wrapping his free arm around his waist, but the knife held steady.

“Why?”

“It’s not safe.”

“I disagree. I think we are safer together.”

Ice waited for the bite to puncture his side… but it didn’t come and after another moment, whatever the sharp object had been disappeared.

The turnstile started up, and Ice rubbed his hand up and down Echo’s back.

“I’ll get the bag, wait here.”

“I will.”

“Promise,” Ice said.

“I promise.”

When Echo nodded, Ice strode to the metal belt and waited for their one bag to come around again. He glanced over his shoulder and found Echo watching him.

Ice smiled and Echo smiled back.

It wasn’t a big smile, but those would come once they got rid of whomever had set them up. More would come the longer they were together. And hopefully, Echo could be happy once they lived together because that was Ice’s ultimate goal.

He snagged the large gray suitcase with its out of the country stickers and turned back to Echo.

Echo had lied.

He should have known Echo would be gone.

But it still hurt like fucking hell.