Poe stared into his eyes.
“I’m scared.”
Gamble touched his cheek with his big palm, and stared into his eyes.
“Remember when I came to you, and I told you that I was scared of living, and you told me you’d save me?”
He nodded.
How could he forget?
It had been quite the adventure since then—for both of them.
Gamble was honest.
“I put all of my faith in you. I gave you sixty days, and then I asked for more. I need you to believe that this is exactly what I was made to do. Let me help us.”
He was right.
Gamble had put all of his faith in him.
Now, it was his turn.
“Okay, Gamble. Let’s do it. I’ll try not to panic,” he said.
Gently, he kissed the man softly on the lips, and that seemed to help calm him.
When he opened his eyes, he made a vow to the man.
“I’ll keep you safe, and no matter what, I’ll protect you. I promise.”
Poe nodded.
Deep down, he knew that Gamble would get him through it, like he’d done for him.
They had a partnership, if only temporarily until he signed him off as ready to go back out in the world.
“I trust you.”
That was all he had to hear.
Moving back down the rocks, he gently pulled the bark back on the big tree. It looked to be a seven-foot drop from what he could see.
Their choices were low. It was this, or tangle with mercenaries on quads.
ARMEDmercenaries.
“I’m going to lower you down,” he said, handing him his flannel shirt as soon as he pulled it off. “Hold onto this, and when your feet touch, let me know.”
“And if they don’t touch?” he asked.
Gamble could hear the quads coming closer. What was saving their asses was that their footprints weren’t visible anymore. They were on rocky terrain.
That wouldn’t be the case if they saw them. Then, they’d never leave this area, and that was exactly what Gamble needed them to do.
“You’ll be okay. I’m coming in right after you,” he promised. “We will do this together.”
This was an activity in trust and Poe knew it. He’d asked Gamble to trust him multiple times, and he had. Now, it was his turn.
