Holden shrugged, trying to look after Nate again, but Six gripped his chin and kept it immobile. “Say that you understand me,” he said urgently. “And that you know how much it means that you came back for me even though you just gave up your entire life.”
“I don’t care about that. I just wanted you to be safe.”
“Exactly. And that’s why you should know he’s wrong.” Six jerked him close enough to kiss. “Precogs in Ex-Comm saw this moment, Holden. They saw you here with me. They knew you would join us, but I wasn’t so sure because I don’t trust psys the way they do.” His face grew fiercer, and his hands gripped tighter. “Premonitions are fickle, and everything you said and did could have changed this outcome. But it didn’t. And it had nothing to do with fate. It had to do with you. Only you. Putting yourself at risk for Elijah. And Chase. And for me.”
Little by little, the void that had widened inside of Holden began to fill. As that empty coldness was filled with warmth, the connection between him and Six strengthened. Every word cleared Holden’s mind, and he could once again feel Six. Just Six. The dark bits that were tangled and gnarled after years of existing in this hateful place, but also other parts of him that were strong and full of hope and love.
It was nothing Holden had ever felt—this absolute tie with another person. There was so much between them that he’d never experienced before and had never expected. More than a burst of lust or anger or sadness that he could hook in to and play with until he milked out a certain response from the person emitting the impression. With Six, he could feel every corner of his mind and cavity of his heart. He knew him better than he’d ever known anyone else.
Holden pulled him into a brief, hard kiss. “The next time we’re in a dangerous situation, we’re never splitting up again.”
“I’ll try not to suggest it.”
“Just don’t, because I refuse to let you out of my sight again.”
That tiny grin found its way onto Six’s mouth right before he brushed it against Holden’s forehead. “Are you ready for this, Holden? Not just getting to Vassar. I’m talking about meeting the rest of Ex-Comm, coming up with a plan to get onto the Farm and get back Elijah and Chase . . . Everything. Are you sure you don’t want to just go back to Evolution and pretend you were never here?”
“I couldn’t, even if I wanted to. After everything I saw tonight, there’s no way I could go back to that life. I’m not even sure that life was ever real. It all seems so pointless now.”
Six slid his hand down to link with Holden’s. “It wasn’t. You tried your best to make a safe place for people like you, and that mattered. People knew you cared. I knew you cared all of those years ago at the tribunal. And, until I met your mother, that one moment with you was the only reason I didn’t let myself believe there were only two types of psychics—sheep and the predators.”
That was exactly what the Community was starting to look like, though. A hunting ground for predators with agendas he couldn’t begin to understand, and a false haven for vulnerable psys who only wanted a place to belong. Besides the urge to rescue his friends, Holden couldn’t stop thinking about the rest of it. And he was starting to think about ways to stop it.
“You said Ex-Comm saw me coming?”
“Yes.”
“Did they see me taking down the Community? Because that’s the only other place to go from here.”
“I don’t know if they saw that much, but I’m not surprised. Beneath your suits and ties and designer sunglasses, I knew you were a fighter.” Six squeezed his hand tighter. “And I loved watching your inner defector grow.”
Out of all the compliments Holden had received in his life, that was the best one. Six had believed in him all along. Even before he’d believed in himself.
Six looked into the distance. “Are you ready?”
Holden nodded. “Let’s go.”
Together they walked away from the lake as the moonlight shone down on them like a promise to guide them to their next destination.
Chase Payne is a walking contradiction. He’s the most powerful psychic in the Community, but the least respected. He’s the son of the Community’s founder, but with his tattoo sleeves and abrasive attitude, he’s nothing like his charismatic family. No one knows what to make of him, which is how he wound up locked in a cell on the Farm yet again. But this time, the only man he’s ever loved is there too.
Elijah Estrella was used to being the sassy sidekick who fooled around with Chase for fun. But that was before he realized the Community wasn’t the haven he’d believed in and Chase was the only person who’d ever truly tried to protect him. Now they’re surrounded by people who want to turn them against their friends, and the only way out is to pretend the brainwashing works.
With Chase playing the role of a tyrant’s second-in-command, and Elijah acting like Chase’s mindless sex toy, they risk everything by plotting a daring escape. In the end, it’s only their psychic abilities, fueled by their growing love for each other, that will allow them to take the Community down once and for all.
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Thank you everyone who gave me feedback on this project! I get nervous when trying to balance the romance and the suspense, combined with all of the paranormal elements, but early readers—Ashley and Piper in particular—helped a lot with awesome feedback.
Special thanks to the readers who enjoyed Insight, and who have been asking for more of The Community! A particularly warm thank-you to BH, Leslie, Candie, Shirlene, Christina, Vinita, Renae, LaCresha, Mirjana, and Sandy! You guys are rock stars.
I appreciate everyone who is along for the ride in my writing journey, especially as I bounce between subgenres. Look out for the last book in this trilogy coming in the fall!
After Midnight
Stygian
The Five Boroughs series
Sutphin Boulevard
Sunset Park
First and First
Interborough
Concourse
Citywide (coming soon)
The Community series
Insight
Sightlines (coming soon)
The Barons
Illegal Contact
Down by Contact
Cyberlove
Strong Signal
Fast Connection
Hard Wired
Mature Content
Santino Hassell was raised by a conservative family, but he was anything but traditional. He grew up to be a smart-mouthed, school-cutting grunge kid, then a transient twentysomething, and eventually transformed into an unlikely romance author.
Santino writes queer romance that is heavily influenced by the gritty, urban landscape of New York City, his belief that human relationships are complex and flawed, and his own life experiences.
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assell.com/newsletter
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Oversight (The Community Book 2) Page 21
