All good things must come to an end.
George is trying to hold his world together, but it’s crumbling and he doesn’t know who he’s even fighting anymore. All the people he loves are suffering because of him.
Jesse is shattering because he can’t provide what George needs.
Elliot is broken perhaps beyond repair.
Zac is ruined by his own doing and isn’t fit to be what Elliot needs him to be.
There is no soothing light at the end of this tunnel. The reckoning is coming and not even George can protect them from the monster of his past. They are splintering, trying to avoid the flames, but they must come together or become ashes.
Be Warned: m/m sex, BDSM, sex toys, flogging, needle play
Blood. Jesse couldn’t focus on anything else. There was too much blood. George was splattered. Sprayed. Pin sized drops littered his face and neck. Jesse couldn’t take his eyes off them. Time stopped, and life existed only in the beats of Jesse’s heart as it hammered in his chest. He didn’t want to process what’d happened. Was George hurt? He couldn’t be. He was speaking and acting normal.
It had to be—
Jesse’s brain couldn’t form the words.
It was too much to be anything other than—
Jesse swallowed.
He’d seen enough evidence photos to know what—that word—looked like.
George had—he forced himself to think it—killed someone.
Killed.
He’d been missing for two days. Two whole days, and now it felt like a lifetime had passed. The blood was so fresh. It couldn’t have been long. Each moment, each breath was excruciating in Jesse’s mind. Time had stopped, or maybe was moving backwards.
Jesse felt faint. George had only just come back to him, and he’d hoped George’s head wouldn’t be so fucked over Elliot now that he’d been found. But now this? Jesse’s knees went weak, and he covered his mouth with his hand. There were so many questions, but he couldn’t find his voice to utter a single one. Blood thundered in his ears. George spoke, but none of it got through to Jesse’s brain. He blinked, and tried to focus again, but nothing was making a damn bit of sense. All the blood. He grabbed the wall to steady himself. The penthouse was starting to spin. He couldn’t process any of it.
George reached out but didn’t touch him. Jesse knew why, and it made him sick.
“Who?” The word came out in a stutter. Jesse didn’t even recognize his own voice.
“I want you to think carefully about this, little one.” George’s voice was regal and smooth as always. How could he be so calm?
“There isn’t anything to think about.” He was firm in his conviction. Even when he wasn’t sure about anything else in the world, he was sure about George. He would do anything for George.
George arched a brow and pursed his lips. The look was clear, and one thing came through Jesse’s shock: rage.
“Don’t you dare doubt me now. Not after all we’ve been through.” Jesse’s hands balled into fists.
“I don’t doubt you, but I needed to give you an out.”
Jesse held firm. He wasn’t going to waver. Whomever George had killed, Jesse was sure there was a good reason for it. He was too good. There had to be a reason for all of this. “I don’t want one. Now tell me what I need to do.”
George collected Jesse in his arms, blood and all. Jesse went willingly. “This has nothing to do with doubt. I’m sure you know the consequences.”
Jesse dropped his head to George’s shoulder. How many times would he get to do this again if George was caught? “You know I do.”
“Say it,” George commanded.
Jesse had to take a few slow breaths before he could get his mouth to work correctly. “Accessory after the fact.”
“At least.” George pulled back to look him in the eyes. “You know they won’t believe you didn’t know.”
“They never do.” He laughed without humor. He always assumed an accessory knew, even when he couldn’t get them on conspiracy. “What’s the difference at this point? I won’t let you go down for this.”
A look came over George that Jesse had never seen before. There was a crease in his heavy brow, and he looked like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. It probably was. “I see the wheels in your head turning already.”
“Who?”
“Do you have to ask?”
