Tore

thirty-one | 2minute warning

Kaine

The first thing I noticed when I woke up was the pain. Every part of my body ached, sharp and unrelenting. My side was bandaged, my head wrapped tightly, but I was alive.

It took three days to regain some semblance of strength. Grant had stayed by my side the whole time, or so he claimed. He told me Leigh and Noa were safe in my Boston loft, that Nico's men had scattered after the explosion. But something felt off.

I noticed the way Grant avoided my eyes when I asked him hypothetically how Nico found us.

How he hesitated just a little too long before answering.

And then I found the messages on his phone.

Encrypted texts, back and forth with a number I knew belonged to Nico. I read them, my stomach sinking with every word.

"They're on their flight. Heading to the Vineyard."
"You were right. Kaine's got the algorithm with him."
"I'll keep him distracted. Just make sure Leigh and the boy are taken care of."

The betrayal hit me like a second explosion, sharper and more painful than the first.

Although, I don't know him like that. I hurt for Noa and Leigh. He really isn't worth the fuck it took to make him.

Grant had been working with Nico the whole time.

He'd been feeding him information, keeping tabs on me and Leigh. He didn't care about Leigh. He didn't care about Noa.

We were just pawns in whatever game he was playing.

I confronted him that night, my voice low and deadly. "How long have you been working with Nico?"

Grant's face went dark, but he didn't deny it. "Kaine, I—"

"Don't," I snapped, my hands trembling, "Don't you dare try to explain this away."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You don't understand. Nico—he promised me, my family, a company, basically your life times ten. A way to start over with Leigh and Noa. I didn't want to hurt anyone, Kaine. I just—"

"You sold us out," I said, my voice cold. "You put Leigh and Noa in danger for your own selfish reasons. You don't deserve to say their names. You put my family in danger, the loves of my life. For your own selfish gain. For some shit you could've built yourself. Are you proud of the example you set for your son?"

Grant didn't respond. He just stood there, silent and ashamed.

I didn't give him another chance. I left him there, alone with his guilt, and walked away.

This wasn't over. Not by a long shot. Nico might be out of the picture, but Grant had made one fatal mistake: fucking with my family.

And I wasn't done fighting. Not for Leigh. Not for Noa. And definitely not for the life we'd built, free from the shadows of men like them.

I called Eazy to handle him. Indefinitely.
..
Omniscient

Kaine's voice was steady, his tone unwavering as he made the call. "Eazy, I need you to take care of Grant. Permanently. Keep it clean. No loose ends."

Eazy's voice came through the line, calm and collected. "G shit. What do you want me to do?"

Kaine hesitated for a moment, considering his options. "Track him down. I let him go, he might be halfway to Mexico by now. Don't make it obvious. Use a trace, make it look like an accident. Keep him out of circulation, and make sure no one suspects anything. He won't be missed."

There was a brief pause before Eazy replied, "You got it. He won't be a problem anymore."

Kaine nodded to himself, satisfied with the decision. "Good. And Eazy?"

"Yeah?"

"Make sure Leigh and Noa are safe. I can't risk them getting hurt because of this."

Eazy's tone was reassuring. "Don't worry, Kaine. They'll be fine. We'll take care of them, get em' to you."

He ended the call  knowing that Eazy was as loyal as they came. Grant's betrayal was going to be dealt with, and he could finally focus on getting Leigh and Noa out of danger.
..