“Like hell,” Blitz said.
Buck chuckled. “Yeah, man. You’ll be saluting them.”
“Fuck,” Blitz muttered, earning another round of laughter.
Bear didn’t laugh. He just watched them, Than and Fly, standing tall under that California sun, sand streaked with sweat, their faces full of the future. Pride swelled in his chest, tempered by that quiet ache that came whenever life moved forward.
Flint nudged his knee, a soft chuff that felt like understanding. Bear reached down, brushing his fingers through the K9’s fur.
“Not bad for a couple of kids,” Joker said beside him.
Bear’s voice was low, even. “They’re not kids anymore.”
The sea wind caught the words, carrying them out across the beach, over the water, into the place where the next generation of warriors were already waiting to rise.
Bailee’s kitchen table had turned into a war zone. Than was bent over, his big hand in his unbound hair, curtains of black silk that slid off her big shoulders. His face was pinched into what looked like painful concentration. Many renditions of Than’s essay were scattered everywhere, pencils rolled, and a crumpled ball arced through the air, bouncing off Than’s shoulder. He was focusing on Bear’s laptop in front of him. Fly was supposed to be writing his essay.
He looked up, his blue eyes glittering. Bear recognized it as Than about to blow, but Fly was clueless. Bear’s chest constricted. If he knew his quietly studious brother, Than was aching to get every word right in his bid to get into the school. It meant a lot to him. “Cut it out,” he muttered, snatching another page from the small printer. “Some of us can’t write an essay kinetically, in perfect English, with a theme and award-winning prose that the academy’s Admission Office staff will be talking about for generations to come. You pain-in-the-ass smart-ass, annoying-ass bastard.”
Fly lounged back in his chair, grin wide and unrepentant. “You’re overthinking it, mate. Just tell ’em how Shamrock and I saved your gorgeous ass from that handsy woman in the supermarket.”
Than froze mid-sentence, the tapping of his keys just halted. “I’m not putting that in my essay.”
From across the room, Bear’s head lifted. The sound of laughter died under the weight of his stillness. His eyes found Fly, narrowed and sharp, and the temperature in the room dropped a degree.
“You what?” The words came out quietly, a warning more than a question.
Fly blinked, the grin on his face faltering. “Uh… it’s not what it sounds like.”
Bear rose slowly, the chair legs scraping back, a sound that made Flint’s ears prick. Every muscle in his body went tight, old instincts shifting forward before he could stop them. His voice stayed even, the kind of calm that came right before a storm. “Say that again, Gallagher. Slower this time.”
Than looked up fast, eyes wide. “Bear, it’s fine?—”
Bear’s gaze stayed on Than. “She touched you?”
Fly’s hands went up. “But it wasn’t serious, I swear. Shamrock and I were heroes, promise. Saved him and his junk from unwanted attention.”
Bear’s stomach turned cold. He stared at his brother, cataloging every flicker of discomfort, every shadow of embarrassment. “You were assaulted?” he asked, quieter now, and somehow that was worse.
“Bear,” Than said quickly, “it’s nothing?—”
The tightness in Bear’s chest climbed up his throat, hot and sharp. He couldn’t get Ayla’s abduction out of his mind, but that was too personal to say anything about it now. “Who was she?” he demanded. “Give me a description. Location.” His voice went clipped, efficient, already breaking the problem into actionable parts.
Than groaned. “You’re kidding me.”
But Bear wasn’t. Not even close. “You think I’m letting some woman put her hands on you and walk away? You’re seventeen, for Christ’s sake.”
Fly winced, trying for levity. “Don’t worry, Bear. We handled it.”
Bear’s jaw locked. “You’re not helping yourself.”
Than rubbed his temples. “Fly, shut up.”
Flint whined softly, pacing near Bear’s boots as if sensing the restraint it took to stay still.
Then, before Bear could open his mouth again, Than lunged and tackled Fly to the floor. Papers went flying, chairs skidding back as the two hit the ground in a tangle.
“You’re a dead man,” Than growled, getting him in a headlock. “You just gave my brother a reason to stake out a supermarket.”
