a place we know| ✓

sixty eight

"And find a place where every single thing you see tells you to stay."
S E E K E R
.
.
March 4th
3:40 AM
New York
- - - - - - - - - -

Gunner arrived during the darkest hours of the morning.

He was spent, exhausted mentally and physically and all he wanted to do was sleep until the sun rose.

But he remembered the confrontation he had with Audrey before leaving the apartment. She was still on his mind, corrupting his will to complete his final task so Ace could free him of his chains. The choice wasn't an easy one and he had dug them a hole when he first started working for his friend, there was no one else to blame. He needed to bear the consequences like a man and pay his dues regardless of how much easier it would be to run away. If there was one thing that didn't describe Gunner, it was a coward.

Tossing his keys onto the coffee table, he kicked off his shoes and socks before ambling inside their bedroom. To his surprise, it had been unlocked. Stealthily, he slipped inside, holding his breath so as to not wake his wife. Audrey slumbered tranquilly, buried under the blanket while her chest moved upwards and down in a measured pattern.

Gunner didn't like mulling over the possibility that he'd never live to see her another day.

Shaking his head, he rid himself of those parasitic thoughts and quickly shed his hoodie and t-shirt. He remained clothed in his sweatpants as he slowly peeled back the blanket and slid into the unoccupied space she always left available for him.

He draped an arm across her stomach, his lips scattering delicate kisses along the nape of her neck and into her hair. "You asleep, baby?"

She emitted a soft hum. "Gunner?"

"It's me," he said tenderly in her ear. "I'm home."

Audrey turned to grasp a full view of him. His hands instantly shot up and settled on the back of her head, gently guiding her in as his mouth captured hers. There was much to say, but he didn't know where to start. He had never been good at expressing himself with words, but actions spoke louder, didn't they? He needed to show her that their family was his priority, not Ace, not drugs, and not dealing.

The warmth of her lips made his heart soften and hammer in his chest, and he kissed her harder, with more urgency, as she cupped his jaw and pulled him closer.

Although he was reluctant to pull away, he whispered, "I never want to put you and our daughter in harm's way. The only reason I agreed to go to LA with Ace is to keep you both safe. I don't want him to come after our family. You understand, don't you?"

"I understand." She masked her expression by hiding her face in the crook of his neck. Her words fluttered against his icy skin, and as her fingers ran their course over his arm, returned the blood to his veins. "I didn't mean to react like how I did. I know why you're doing this, but it still scares me."

"It scares me too." Gunner enveloped her in his embrace. "But I promise I won't leave you. I promise that after this everything's going to change. We'll go someplace else, we can leave New York City and start over."

"Where do you have in mind?" she asked.

His digits glided through her smooth hair. "Somewhere quiet. I was actually thinking Greenport."

Audrey tilted her face up at him and showed him an almost smile. "You want to move back home?"

"It's just a suggestion." He licked his lips in thought. "We don't have to if you don't want to, but it might be nice to settle there. I love Greenport, our kids might too. It's like everything might come full circle since we'll be closer to my family too."