Stopping a murder that happened forty years earlier may be the only way to heal a tortured mind ...<br><br>Six months after Jesse Madding is brutally tortured by Marcus Brooker, he is still experiencing flashbacks, panic attacks, and jumping at his own shadow. His lovers, Gideon Keel and Emma Coolidge, would do anything to help him, but Jesse refuses to be hospitalized for treatment, or even visit a therapist. Desperate for a change, Gideon and Emma suggest a radical solution.<br><br> Jesse wants to fix his life. More than anything, he wants to be normal again. He doesn't want to live in fear. He doesn't want to be ashamed of his scarred and mutilated body. He doesn't want to shy away from Gideon's touch. Certain that the holding pattern will kill him, he agrees to Gideon and Emma's proposed solution: travel to an alternative dimension and save Marcus Brooker from witnessing Mary's grisly murder ... in order to save Brooker's soul.

Chaos and Communion

“I’ve never seen him like that, either. That’s why I’m pretty sure he walked into a trap, somehow. Look, I know you have Hal and Marcus and your whole congregation for support, but if you need anything…I’ll help any way I can.”


Her moment of weakness vanished, her manner turning efficient once again. “Convince Gideon to get some sleep,” Mary joked. Picking up his bowl, she carried it to the sink to rinse it out. “Let me know if he wants anything.”


Jesse nodded. He wished he could stay in Mary’s warm kitchen. He’d even eat another bowl of soup, if she wanted. But he needed information and Gideon was the best source.


Chapter 44