‘How old were you when they trained you for this?’
‘Jules, it’s standard stuff.It happens more than you know.’
‘How old?’
‘Nineteen.Field trained by twenty.Operational by twenty-one.’
‘So what then?How did you get from there to here?’
‘I was discharged.’
‘Why?’
‘Operational restructuringwas the official term, but in reality, it was Resolution Branch being quietly dismantled.’Lachlan’s jaw tightens.‘They ran psych-evals for reassignment after the shutdown.My profile flagged.Said I wasn’t suitable for reintegration into standard military structure.’He laughs once, soft and humourless.‘So they discharged me.Years of training just to get dumped back into the real world.’
‘What then?’
‘My mom was sick.My cousin had been carrying the medical bills while I was away, so I started asking around for private-sector work.A friend of mine, Jolene Mercer, told me about this place.I applied, got brought in, and, despite my cousin warning me not to, signed the contract.’
‘Did your mom get better?’
‘Yeah, she did.Then she died.’
‘What?When?’
‘Early this year.’
‘You… Lachlan, you never told me.’
Lachlan smiles gently, strokes his face.‘We were still mortal enemies.’
‘No, we weren’t.’
‘It’s hard for me to share things,’ he admits.‘This is the most honest I’ve been with anyone, ever.’
‘You took this job to help her and she died?’
‘I took this job to get my cousin out of debt and I did that.’
‘I never…’ Jules hesitates, seems unsure of how to say whatever’s coming.‘I never thought about you needing the money.’
‘You were a kid.It wasn’t your job to worry about shit like that.’
‘I made it so hard for you back then.’
‘You still do now, you little brat.’
‘I’m being serious.’
‘I know.’
‘Did you cry when she died?’
‘No.It felt,’ he says slowly, saying aloud something he never has, ‘like she’d been dead for years and everyone else was only now just realising it.’
‘I’m so sorry.’
‘Your mom died too,’ Lachlan says, takes care to skirt around anything he swore to Blaire he wouldn’t reveal.‘Didn’t she?’
