Page 52 of Bad Blood Alpha

Chapter 20

Kira sat in cold, numb silence as the meeting broke up. She hadn’t meant to tell him about Markus—at least, not like that.

Not in front of other people. Not without the chance to explain.

Flynn was cool and businesslike as the others got up to leave. He listened while she promised to look through Markus’s papers. He made sure Ashley’s hands were okay, that she had no lasting damage from the magic.

He exchanged promises with Israel and Harrison to let each other know if they got any more information. He was polite, said all the right things, even walked them to their truck.

And underneath, she could feel the rage simmering, barely controlled.

He was out in front of the cabin now. Israel was helping Ashley into the truck, handling her like she was fine porcelain. She smiled and touched his cheek affectionately before he closed the passenger door and went around to get in the driver’s side.

Harrison had pulled Flynn aside, and was talking to him earnestly.

Flynn just stood there, arms crossed, biceps bulging, that look on his face.

The one she’d already come to know—the one that said he wasn’t listening, wasn’t moving, wasn’t having any of whatever the other person was saying.

The one that meant that underneath, he was hurting. And he didn’t want anyone to know.

He couldn’t afford to let anyone know. Because there had never been anyone there to back him up, no one who he could trust enough let down his guard.

And now the last of the props had been kicked out from underneath the foundations of his life. The man he’d loved and idolized and grieved over hadn’t died.

He’d simply abandoned him.

She wanted to put her arms around Flynn, pull his head down to rest on hers, hold him until he could feel her love seeping into him.

But he wouldn’t. He might let her hold him, but his walls were up. The love she had to give would never make it through them. He’d be holding her, but he’d still be alone.

Harrison shook his head, and Kira could see the frustration in his body. He hadn’t gotten through. Whatever he’d tried to tell Flynn, it wasn’t making him feel better.

How could it? He’d just learned that Markus had been here all along, in this world. He could have found Flynn, could have taken him in. Could have raised him alongside Kira, and could have kept him from so much pain and suffering.

Now he’d try to carry that pain all alone, just like he’d carried the pain of losing everyone he’d known and cared about.

The truck drove away, and for a moment Flynn stayed in the middle of the yard, looking after it. Then he turned and walked off down the path to Xander’s and Sloan’s trailers, without even a glance toward her.

Kira hesitated, then went down the steps and headed after him. After a moment, she could hear the thwak, thwak of knives being thrown into a target. It was coming from the far side of Xander’s trailer, where he had his targets set up.

She approached cautiously, not wanting to get in the line of fire. He wasn’t just angry at Markus. He was angry at her, for keeping the identity of her guardian from him.

She didn’t really think he’d throw a knife at her. But when a man with weapons was that pissed off…best to keep your distance.

She stood at the corner of Xander’s trailer, watching him. His body moved in perfect synch, the muscles of his arms and shoulders rippling under his shirt as he drew back and threw, drew back and threw.

Thwak. Thwak. Thwak. The knives thudded into the target, all near the center, points buried deeply.

He walked over and pulled them viciously out, and then walked back to the starting line and threw them again. Thwak. Thwak. Thwak.

His technique was perfect. Markus had taught him that.

“He’d be proud of you,” she said quietly.

He didn’t answer. Thwak. Thwak. Thwak. He walked forward. Yanked the knives out.

“He talked about you all the time,” she said. “How strong you were, how brave, how loyal. Smart. Skilled. A good soldier.”