↳ 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐑 ー 𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐘

𝐋𝐗𝐗𝐕𝐈𝐈 ー 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰

◉

An exasperated sigh. "I want this off," Kaden grumbles. "Piece of shit." He hits the edge of the cast.

"Soon." Grayson finishes assembling the cleaned firearm, triggering the safety before dropping it onto the coffee table with a thunk.

"Soon isn't soon enough. Give me a saw, I'll take it off myself. Can't be that difficult."

"You'll have everyone on your case including me."

"My leg feels fine. Nope. I lied. It doesn't feel fine, it's like my leg is stuck in a straight jacket. It feels claustrophobic. What are you smiling at?"

"Never thought I'd enjoy listening to you complain."

"And you say I've gone soft."

"Soon we'll get this off." Grayson's hand slaps the cast which elicits a displeased grunt. "You'll be healed. Things will go back to how they were."

"You believe that?"

"I don't know what to believe." He sighs, running a hand over the back of his neck. "Things have calmed down though. It's been a couple days and nothing's happened. Maybe everything's fine now."

"About that..." Sierra hovers near the door.

"What's going on?" Kaden's brows furrow.

A contrite expression strikes her face when she glances to her left. Both men rise from the couch in sync. Only the tapping of crutches is what prompts her attention to return to them.

"I need you to promise me you won't get stressed," she says to Kaden. "And I need you to promise me you won't get mad," she tells Grayson.

"Something tells me I can't make that promise," the latter responds with rising suspicion.

"Well I'm gonna need you to try." Sierra bows her head. Another glance to her left and the man on the doorstep enters the house, hands relaxed in his trouser pockets.

Kaiser growls instantly. Sierra orders for him to be quiet. He licks his sharp teeth and snaps them together.

"I presume I need no introduction."

"What the fuck?" Kaden's voice booms.

"How are you alive?" growls Grayson.

"As much as I'd like to explain, I've been instructed not to say anything," Christian confesses.

"Please let me explain first."

Knuckles pale around the crutches. "Make it quick."

"You were gone for almost a year. He came to the house. I didn't know what to do. Hope wasn't coping, I was on my own, you were both halfway across the world. I ordered for him to be taken somewhere secure until you returned."

"Why's he still breathing?"

"I forgot."

"You forgot?" Kaden echoes. "How do you forget you detained a Shadow?"