Kai’s smile was faint, humorless.“Then we start planning.”
“Planning for what?”Hogan’s tone was dry, but his eyes had sharpened.
Kai leaned forward, forearms on the table, voice low and deliberate.“For protecting the people we love.And maybe—just maybe—for a little revenge.”
The words hung between them, heavy with promise.Hogan studied him, eyes narrowed, searching for the cracks Kai always kept hidden.Kai let him look, knowing he wouldn’t find the whole picture.Not yet.Maybe not ever.
But Hogan muttering that curse again—Kai couldn’t stop the thought from circling.If his memory was bleeding back through the cracks, then everything Kai had tried to protect him from was at risk of coming to light.And if Hogan remembered the alley, remembered the heat of that first reckless kiss, remembered Kai the way he truly was ...then nothing between them would ever be the same again.
Kai straightened, covering his unease with a shrug that hurt more than he let on.“Let’s pretend we’re just van lifers on the trip of a lifetime, prepare what we will need to be off grid for a week, then we’ll head out.”
Hogan smirked faintly but didn’t press.Not yet.But Kai had a feeling it wouldn’t be too long before he did.
Chapter Three
Later that night, thevan was quiet save for the faint hum of the fridge, the soft creak of trees outside, and the sound of a waterfall nearby.They’d spent the day cutting ties with anything that could track them—pulling plugs, disabling GPS, filling water tanks to the brim.Groceries had been oddly familiar.Normal, even.Like slipping into a life Hogan hadn’t realized he knew.
The supermarket came back to him in flashes.He’d grabbed the cart without thought, steering through the aisles like muscle memory.When they reached the cereal aisle, his hand shot out for a particular box at the same time Kai did.He hadn’t even thought about it, just reached, dropped it in the cart.Kai had arched a brow, half-amused.“Didn’t know you were a fan of sugar bombs.”Then he had moved off down the aisle in the odd shuffle walk he had going on.
“You love these things,” Hogan murmured to himself, frowning at the box.“Half the time you don’t even bother with milk.”The words were out before he could pull them back.They’d felt too certain, too familiar.
In the dairy section, Hogan had automatically passed the regular milk and pulled two cartons of soy instead.Kai hadn’t needed to ask.Just gave him a look, the corner of his mouth tilting up.“Careful, Ace.People will think you pay attention.”
“I do pay attention,” Hogan had shot back, more defensive than he intended.“Always did.”
They’d argued lightly over the bakery section, both pretending they weren’t tempted.Kai eyed the glazed doughnuts, Hogan the chocolate croissants, but in the end, they walked on.“Sweet tooths,” Hogan muttered.“Pair of liars, that’s what we are.”They settled on red meat, tossing cuts into the cart with unspoken agreement—fuel they both needed.
Now they were parked on a concrete pad surrounded by dense trees, the sound of a waterfall carrying through the night air.Private land, owned by local Native Hawaiians, and Kai had the access code to the sturdy metal gate across the access road.No eyes on them.No amenities.Just the two of them, a van, and the knowledge they were off the grid.
Dinner had been simple—steak seared in the skillet, greens tossed together, bread still warm from the oven.They’d eaten at the small dinette, doors open to let in the sound of rushing water and the cool night air.Hogan had watched Kai fading, his shoulders slumping, his eyes going glassy.Without a word, Hogan had tugged him gently to the bed, settled him down, and pulled the blanket over him.
Now Kai lay half-dozing, and Hogan sat with his laptop open, glow painting his face.The keys clicked softly as he checked reports, files, making sure there was no chatter out there about them, other than the fact two dead bodies had been found lying in the street a week ago, and no leads on who had committed the crime.Crime my ass.They had deserved to die, and Hogan had been more than happy to give them exactly what they had deserved.
Hogan let the quiet stretch until Kai’s voice slipped free to break it, heavy with exhaustion.
“It’s nice,” Kai murmured, voice low.“Not to be running.Not to have people shooting at me.Or hitting me.”
