Page 11 of Eight of Swords, Part Two

It doesn’t strengthen his conviction the way it once did.

It falls flat. Feels hollow. Insufficient.

Luca is waiting for him to speak, watching him worriedly.

Kade manages something resembling a smile for his friend.

‘Status?’

‘Eight bells. I’m worried about you,’ Luca says, sitting on the bed when Kade pulls himself up. ‘I’ve never seen you like this.’

‘Like what?’

‘So unbalanced.’

Kade stares down at his own hands.

The tattoo. The scars. The walls. The defences.

He built a home and never saw the bars.

‘Yeah.’

‘Boss told us to give you space, said you’re going through something. Finn’s worried sick. Seth is…’ Luca exhales slowly.

Kade looks up, searching his dark brown eyes. ‘What?’

‘He’s really angry.’

‘About Gage?’

‘About you and the boss kind of… befriending the weirdo.’

Befriending.

Is that the word?

Kade knows how it feels to kiss him.

He knows the rough grip of his hand. He knows how it feels to be caught and seen all the way to his core.

No one has ever looked at Kade like that.

You’re not my business.

‘We were just trying to figure out what he is,’ Kade reasons, frowning all the same. ‘He can’t be killed. What does Seth expect?’

‘For you to drown him in cement?’

Kade already knows he couldn’t do that. ‘Boss has made his decision.’

‘I know that, but maybe try and talk to Seth today, yeah?’

Kade looks at the window.

It’s raining outside, but sunlight streaks through it all the same.

He likes wet sun, always has.