Lachlanhatesbeing in the city.
‘Getoffme!’Jules bites out, slapping Lachlan’s ear hard enough that it actually gets him, knocks his inner ear, discombobulates him briefly and he staggers before setting Jules down but by no means releasing him.‘Motherfucker, who do you think you are, touching me!?’
‘Be quiet!’
‘No I fuckingwon’tbe quiet, you pig!Fuck you andfuck yourbullshit!’Jules is upright now, but angry-drunk.‘I’m going back in and you can’t stop me!’
‘Of course I can stop you.’
‘Why are you even bothering?It’s not like I won’t come back!’
‘You know you’re not allowed to leave the Estate, Jules.’
‘It’s mybirthday!’
‘Your safety comes before anything else.’
Jules’ jaw drops and he laughs, breathless and jagged, but Lachlan can tell he’s hurting, heradiatesit.‘Safety?!Says the man who locks us up, who puttrackersin all our clothes?My safety, good God, fuck you,Bodyguard!’
Lachlan makes a mental note to ask how he figured that out later but for now, he just needs to get Jules back as soon as possible.‘Let’s just get you home, and then we can—’
‘I’d rather die,’ Jules declares flatly.The alcohol is making him brave.‘Go ahead and kill me, go on.I don’t fucking care.’
‘And what would Mimi do without you?’
‘She hasyounow, Bodyguard.She’ll be fine.’
‘Get your ass into the car, Jules.’
‘Fuckingmake me!’
‘I don’t want to do that, but I will!’
The kid screams, ‘SO DO IT THEN!DO IT!’and tears fall down his cheek.
Lachlan counts to three in his head,tree rings from the outside in,an old trick to calm himself down taught by a specialist when he was given endurance training.Then he looks away, forces himself to relax.
‘One hour,’ he says, voice mechanical.‘One hour and then we leave.’
Jules blinks, confused.‘What?’
Lachlan purses his lips, analysing the club.It’s hardly ideal but he can keep on top of the kid, supervise.It’s his birthday, after all and maybe it’ll even buy a little goodwill, although he doubts it.
‘One hour, but I’ll be watching you the whole time so don’t get cute.’
Lachlan straightens himself out, nods towards the club.
‘You’re letting me go back?’
‘In or out?Let’s go.’
Jules is critically confused but he warily follows and is granted re-entry with the stamp on his hand, the same one Lachlan is forced to pay for also and then they’re inside where it’s loud and dangerous but Lachlan’s a professional.He picks a spot at the bar which affords a good lighthouse view and then shoots Jules a look as if to say,have at it then.
Wary at first, Jules dips into the dancefloor but soon enough the pull of bass and major keys draws him back and even though he’s alone, he seems to be having so much fun.Lachlan never takes his eyes off the kid except to scan anyone who comes near him.Lachlan doesn’t dance, hasn’t since he was a small child and even then, it definitely wasn’t like this.
Jules is a natural.
He moves like water, fluid and intuitive.
