Glenn sprawled on the hotel bed, relieved that the job was finished. It had been three months since he'd become a legitimate freelance…liquidator he supposed was the best word for it. Hitman sounded so tacky now and he wasn't really an assassin.
The only problem with the whole thing, legit or not, was that he was back at square one. It had been a little over three years since he'd decided to get out of the business and here he was, still in it and no closer to having the sort of life he longed for than he had been back then. If anything he was even further away from it.
'Or am I?' he pondered. 'There's no reason why I can't have my own place now and still do what I do, as long as no one knows where it is. And that means no one. Not the boss-man or the people he works for. No one.'
That took his thoughts to the one place that he had, however briefly, called home. It was still his; he'd bought it outright and kept up on the taxes, all in some perverse hope that someday he'd return.
'So why shouldn't I? There's not a person in my world, past or present, that knows about the place. The only ones who do couldn't care less by now I'm sure.'
That thought hurt but he was certain it was the truth. Joey would have moved on by now. He was young and there had to be someone in his life now that meant more to him than Glenn ever had. 'It was a passing infatuation, nothing more. For him, for me, for both of us.'
He sighed. 'If that's the truth then why is he still on my mind? Why doesn't a day pass when I don't think about him? Damn, I'm like some love-struck teenager and it's been forever and a day since I was even close to that.'
God knew he'd done his best to put it behind him. He'd had more quick, down and dirty one night stands than should be allowed for a man of his age. And not one of them helped relieve the real ache, the one in his heart.
'It's insane! And the only way I'll get over it, over him, is to go back there and face my demons. When I see that he's happy with someone else I can move on, make a real life for myself. Hell, maybe find a man or woman of my own who'll care for me.'
He sat up and looked at his reflection in the mirror on the dresser across from the bed. 'I'm old. Well, older. It's time to put the past behind me.' He smiled wryly at his reflection. 'Look out world, the new me is about to make an appearance.'