What wouldLachlanwant?That’s easy.
Death.Justice.Punishment.
All the things Jules said he didn’t want.
The lava pit inside Lachlanyearnsto erupt in pursuit of nameless vengeance.A monster whose eyes gleam red and whose hunger is second to none will take any opportunity to stretch and claw andsateancient aches.
He forces it to still, tolisten.
Eyes moving between Jules’ own, he asks, ‘What helps you?’
Jules clings to his shirt, mouth in a thin line.
‘You.You help me, but you have to stay with me.You’re my bodyguard.’He puts Lachlan’s hand atop his own chest.‘Soguardme.Stay.Be mine.’
Lachlan doesn’t really understand it, but in this cold, pragmatic mindset where the world is very much black, white and red, he trusts Jules to know what he wants and needs.
He can come back later for the other.
‘All right,’ he says.‘You got it.’
‘Let me sit up front.’
‘OK.’
Lachlan buckles him in.
Jules is watching him like a hawk until Lachlan gets back in the other side, starts the engine and drives carefully away.
‘Thank you.’
‘Don’t thank me.’
‘Well, I did so get over it.’Jules exhales slowly, looks down at his own hands and then shakes them harder, as if he can dislodge the tremors.
‘It’s normal,’ Lachlan tells him.
‘Yeah.’
The first ten minutes of the drive is quiet.
Lachlan checks in with Danya, warns him they’re coming in hot, will need cover till they get to the Cove.Lachlan will have to fabricate a reason why Jules’ lip is split.
Jules breaks the quiet.
‘He wanted to pretend I was a girl,’ he says out of nowhere.‘That’s why I said no.’
‘You don’t need to give a reason why you said no.’
‘I know, but I wanted to tell you.’
‘Heard.’Lachlan frowns, throat thickening.‘Did he…?’
‘No.I got him good.’
Lachlan smiles despite himself, despite the armour he wears in the moment that drowns almost all emotions out.‘That’s my boy.’
Jules is staring at him while he drives.
