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buildings crumbling, the streets littered with trash and lost souls.
Cory shivered as a man with eyes devoid of any humanity, stared at him. Cory quickly
looked away and tried once again to concentrate only on where he was stepping, avoiding the
pools of thick, congealed blood that seemed to be everywhere.
For Nelson to voluntarily live in Old Town, the man must be more tormented than Cory
had originally thought. Why would anyone feel they deserved such a dire eternity?
Nelson led Cory through the gate. Cory surveyed the area as his heart plummeted.
 I thought you said they d be out here, Nelson spat.
Cory refused to believe Tao wouldn t be waiting for him.  They have to be here
somewhere. Maybe another entrance?
With a grunt of disgust, Nelson continued to pull Cory along beside him.  You d better
not be wrong.
After twenty minutes of walking, Nelson stopped dead in his tracks.  Is that them?
Cory blinked several times, trying to get his swollen eyes to focus on the figures in the
distance. They were still too far away to discern faces, but Tao s size compared to the other men
was easy to spot.
 Tao! Cory screamed.
Within seconds, the group of men was running toward them. Cory noticed the smallest
figure and gestured with his head.  There s Joshua.
Nelson released his grip on Cory s arm and stopped walking.  Joshua, he whispered.
The murderous expression on Tao s face as he neared prompted Cory to step in front of
Nelson.  Tao! I m fine. Don t touch him!
Tao skidded to a stop in front of Cory. He reached out and cupped Cory s swollen cheek
before leveling a narrowed-eyed gaze over Cory s shoulder.
With his hands still bound behind his back, Cory leaned against Tao.  It s okay. Please
trust me on this.
Tao wrapped his arms protectively around Cory and pulled him to the side just as Joshua
launched himself at his father.
 Dad!
Nelson hesitated only for a moment before embracing his son, picking him up off his feet
to swing him in circles.  I never thought I d see you again.
Cory gave Tao a nudge with his shoulder.  Take these off of me and let s give them some
privacy.
Tao spun Cory around and went to work on the knotted rope.  How can you be so
forgiving? That man kidnapped you.
Cory glanced over his shoulder at the teary-eyed man.  I feel sorry for him.
 Where s Draco? Lu asked, coming to a stop.
 Draco? Cory shook his head.  I never saw him.
 Fuck! Lu screamed and grabbed fistfuls of his black hair.
Cory looked to Tao for clarification as to what was going on.
Tao tossed the rope to the pavement before pulling Cory into his arms once more.  Draco
went in to find you.
Cory s jaw dropped. He knew what that meant.  He didn t find me.
Lu turned toward Dominic.  I need to get to The Temple. Now!
 I think we all should go, Cory said.  As much as I d love a shower, I think there are other
parts of me that feel dirtier than my skin.
* * * *
Safely ensconced in his bed, Cory snuggled further into Tao s warm embrace.  I don t
think I ll ever feel warm again.
Tao adjusted the pile of blankets around the back of Cory s neck.  You will. Lu said it
would take some time, but you ll feel right in your skin again.
Cory closed his eyes. If anyone could help him, he knew it would be Tao. Since leaving
Old Town, Cory hadn t been able to sleep more than an hour or two without waking in a cold
sweat, the nightmares chasing him even after his eyes opened.
 Make love to me, he whispered. He didn t want to think about Draco and what he must
be enduring behind the walls of Old Town. It didn t matter to Cory that Lu and Michael were
working closely to get Draco out. Cory knew it was his fault Draco entered Old Town in the first
place. According to Lu, Michael was beside himself with remorse for the bargain he d made with
Draco. Evidently, Draco set the transfer of Nelson s taint into motion before he d left The
Between. Somewhere behind the walls of Old Town, Draco carried not only his own burdens,
but Nelson s as well, and there didn t seem to be a damn thing anyone could do about it.
Although Joshua s reunion with his father had gone better than any of them had hoped, it
still hadn t released Cory from his guilt. The remorse over Joshua s death was still in his heart, but [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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