That hurt too.
Now that the rage had abated, the idea of losing his family was an ache he knew he’d never overcome. They were the only reason he had the life he had.
Michael had money, family, and friends.
He wasn’t alone anymore.
“We love you so much,” Callen admitted to the man. “We would die for you,” he added. “You are part of us, but if being part of us hurts, we understand. That wasn’t the intention, and it never would be.”
Michael was silent, and Callen knew the wheels were turning. Michael was smart, and he was thinking this all through.
Callen might have just talked him off of the ledge.
“Elizabeth saw you struggling, and she wanted to just point you in the right direction. Your lives are running parallel. You both work for us. You both are connected to us. The universe did that, Michael—not us trying to hurt you. Losing you in this would hurt us so much. Our children love you, and you’re ours, Son. You have always been ours.”
He wiped his eyes on the sleeve of his flannel shirt as those words healed and hurt him.
Yeah, he’d made an error.
Now, though, he needed time to work through all of this.
“I need to go. I need to think.”
Callen had to do what he had to do. If Michael needed space, they’d give it to him.
So, he did the hardest thing.
He let him go.
“Okay, Michael. Let me know what you want to do. Call us when you’ve figured out how this is going to end. Either way, you’re free to stay there, or get on the jet. I’ll have it wait for you in case you want to leave.”
Michael only said one more thing.
“Thank you.”
Callen knew this was balanced on the razor’s edge, and it could go either way. He hoped and prayed that Michael worked through this for his and Graham’s sake.
Graham was holding on by a thread, and they all knew his last wish, the one thing holding him there, was to know Michael was okay.
“We’ll talk later. Be safe, Son,” Callen said. “I love you.”
And with that, the call ended.
When he tucked the phone back into his pocket, Michael sat on the bench trying to work through all of this.
What was he supposed to do?
Hearing that Graham was about to give up on life made his heart hurt.
Oh, he knew how he felt.
He’d done stupid shit in order to suffer and make himself pay for all of the sins he’d committed.
Been there.
Done that.
Only, thinking about the man giving up and dying…that horrified him.
