Keegan Russ x OC Female Character // ''Hearts are there to be broken''

Chapter 4: Emotions running higher than the Mount Everest

Had she known fear? Until this moment- no.

"Keegan, I-"

"What were you thinking?" he cut clean through her words. In his hushed tone, there was still enough ferocity to even make her flinch a little. Keegan didn't move an inch. His jaw worked in overtime as he probably tried to bite down any snarky remarks.

"I got what we came for and-"

"-and almost died doing so. Do you think Hesh or Logan are gonna forgive me?"

As if anger was a spreading disease, she caught it too and fell as victim to it. Her eyes narrowed at Keegan as she took after his own pressured voice. "That's what this is about? My brothers?" She shoved him hard and good. A few inches built between them. "For one fucking time, Russ, I want you to see me. I work my ass off to not slow you guys down. And you can't even bother to care for me?"

"You don't belong to this world, Walker," he hissed out and closed the few inches once more. "Just because you are Elias' daughter doesn't mean you are made to be here. Why don't you go back to your easy life? Shopping, friends- all that?"

"Do you even hear yourself?" Her body fell numb as his words closed around her like a tight rope. She couldn't help herself but stand agape before him. This was one of the most trusted men of her father? An elite soldier? Who would let anyone this narrowly minded on their team?

"What?" He asked, still tense but he could sense the shift in the air. How the crackling between them morphed into something he couldn't undo. A deeper hatred beyond their banter. And she hoped he knew.

"I want to go back. Now. We have what we came for."

Grace wanted to walk past him and for a second she thought he had let her. Only for him to grab onto her upper arm. Not even gently. He used enough force to bruise her if she chose to resist. Grace had no fire in her to fight him on it. Instead, she turned to him.

"I am not done with you, Walker. You-"

"I get it," she sighed. She needed several moments for herself now and not with Keegan. The extraction team had been notified by her pressing the button on her earpiece twice. They'd be here any minute. "Okay? I get it, Russ. You don't like me being here and you know what? Neither do I."

Don't go too deep, she could hear her own warning. He doesn't deserve it.

But her mouth had always been its own master.

"But I don't have a life besides this. Without dad I-," she pulled her eyes shut. His grip on her eased enough so she could turn away from him. "It's none of your business, Russ. Just... stay out of this."

Luckily, the exfil arrived not too late after.

. . . . . ╰──╮╭──╯ . . . . .

She had given her part of the debriefing before she was granted to leave early. Grace had shut herself off as her first destination was the common gym and nested herself to the boxing sack. Stance, aim, punch.
Again.
Again.
Then she added dodging. Kicks. More punches.

Who did Keegan think he was?

Punch.

How could he assume anything if he knew nothing?

Punch.

How could anyone be so fucking stupid?

Another joined her in the ring.

Why did it all come up now?

A mask. Blue eyes. And he shifted into a stance.

Easy life! Her foot.

He began to move in her rhythm.

What did he think she had for a life?

Grace moved along with the phantom before her. Her fists hitting on his.

A father who was barely there, a small house in the middle of nowhere and no one to call a friend. Her life had never been easy. She had been kept away from her own brothers, for fuck's sake! How was that fair?

She dodged his attack, grunting and railed her fist forward to counter it.

And then, all she knew was ripped away from her. The father she tried so hard to make proud- dead and left no trail of anything for her. On top of it she learned about all his dirty secrets. Betrayal didn't tap the notch of what Grace went through.

A whirlwind of dodges, kicks, punches. Like a sort of dance. She barely noticed the subtle touches to help her posture and performance. Then again, she barely recognized who fought with her.

Things had never been easy when you grew up all alone, kept secret from the world because your father had joined some band of misfits and tried to protect you.

She grew fiercer, wilder. A fire spreading across a sea of oil.

So how? How was this life any sort of easy? All the secrets, all this loneliness. She had a nanny, who was strict and barely around even. She hadn't been allowed to have a phone until fifteen and with an app to ensure she wasn't texting anyone outside the circle chosen for her.

Grace hit him good in the jaw. But she didn't stop pommelled her fists onto his defensive form.

A father like hers always meant it good. And the fact she had cussed him out the last time she had seen him...

Her fist stopped right on Keegan's arm as she ragged for air. Though, her eyes were as distant as her consciousness.

'You are never around!' She had told him back then. 'When do you plan on becoming my dad, Elias?' And yet all he did was to protect her from all of this. This madness. Rorke. Guns. Danger.

As she began to tremble, she didn't hear how Keegan ordered every occupant out. They had seen her going rogue on Keegan and now, a second later, she was near tears. Grace's head leaned against Keegan's broad chest.

'I really hope you don't come back.' But how could Grace have known he'd take her words serious? It was stupid... to think he died because of her forfeiting words. And yet it seemed like the closest reason, the one to bury her. Not Rorke, not his devilish plan and schemes. Her words- seemingly meaningless in the moment but afterwards...

Her own sobs broke her through the cloud. Who... who did she- But he pressed her against his shoulder. A silent conversation. Just stay. Grace didn't have to look up to know it was Keegan. His strong aroma filled her nose. Something she would never admit kept her right there, in his arms. The warmth, the soothing pats on her back... No one had ever held her like this. What— what was this?

And she let the tears fall.

"I-"

"Just stay like this," he interrupted her. Though she heard none of his usual hatred filling his words. No... It sounded warm and comforting? "Let it out, Walker."

She did. With his hand on the back of her head, stroking her hair and his other hand patting down her back as she cried for the first time since Elias Walker had died. The first time someone held her, too. Not even her own damned father had done such.