Shattering Me

2~ the Unrepentant Son

(Picture made of Ryan Krag above ^^)

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Ryan really didn't mean to get involved with Kyle Cane's life, but fate has a way of making things happen in unexpected ways. He'd already gone through the trouble of carrying the stupid suicidal teen to his car and driving back to the police station. Now he'd have to explain this mess and how things were able to get so close to disaster. Ryan was also fairly certain he'd broken or sprained the boy's ribcage at some point. He could already imagine the police chief's face...

"Are you a bloody idiot?" the broad-shouldered chief was a good few inches shorter than Ryan, but of course they made him sit down before explaining what happened, so his full height meant nothing to the man shouting at him. "I cannot be hearing this right. Carman, your brother must be speaking in the wrong dialect or something. He can't be saying what I think he's saying," the chief blustered, turning to the other man in the room.

Ryan didn't bother turning to face his older brother, though. He knew there would be no mercy in that man's scarlet eyes. They definitely weren't on bad terms, but standing up for one another in a situation like this was just something they didn't do. Their father would respond the same way if he were present at the moment. A Krag son was expected to fight his own battles, but Ryan just wished this one was less annoying.

"You could not have actually let someone climb a god-damned bridge in the middle of a violent thunderstorm and kept him out in the rain for hours," he growled. Every single word dripped with venom and anger. The indignation on chief Taluka's face was something else. The man had the typical Hawaiian skin complexion, but not of the charm or appeal. His goatee was shaggy and unbalanced while his age showed in the balding atop his head. "You could not have literally broken three of his ribs and let him catch ammonia within less than a day of your care. I refuse to believe that a Krag would be so foolish!"

A snicker came from the side of the room where Carman stood, quickly followed by a cough to cover it up. Ryan's eyebrow twitched and he had to restrain the urge to smirk at Taluka's mistake. It wouldn't help to point out that no one catches 'ammonia' from being out in the rain.

"What do you have to say for yourself, boy?" he glowered expectantly.

"I don't have to say anything for myself. Cane was not my responsibility. I was heading somewhere on my own before the storm set in and he happened to tag along. No one told me that he was crazy and borderline suicidal. I had no idea he had to be watched like a freaking child or he'd take the plunge as soon as possible.

"I suppose my real response is, what do you have to say for yourself Mr. Taluka? If he was so fragile, why wasn't he under professional supervision?" Ryan narrowed his gaze and the nineteen-year-old's narrow amber eyes were enough to give the police chief pause to rethink. He hadn't expected the boy to respond so antagonistically after remaining silent for so long.

Silence stretched on into the minutes as the chief looked over the dark-skinned boy sitting opposite his desk. The Krags had only been in Hawaii for a couple of months, but they were an undeniable asset to law enforcement. They had a nearly global reputation, and that alone was enough to snuff out minor crimes with them on the islands.

Looking at the boy, and his older brother in the dark red suit, he couldn't help but feel a sliver of intimidation. He decided that scolding Ryan any longer wouldn't help anyone. "Alright, I take it I don't need to lecture you any further on where you went wrong. I am grateful you pulled Kyle off before he could jump and-"

"He did jump. I didn't grab him until after he already stepped off the rail," Ryan interrupted suddenly, but he felt it was important to add. "I don't know all the details with that kid, but he was serious about going over, and if the wind had pushed him out of my reach he'd be gone."

A vein started pulsing in Taluka's forehead again. It was that same vein which he was known for. "Anyway, I'm grateful. In light of recent information, it was a saving grace. If Kyle Cane were to die, Hawaii's future would most likely die along with it."

The words genuinely surprised Ryan and he turned to his brother for the first time since sitting down. "I get that he's the son of some dead rich family, but how can he so important?"

(A/N)

I'd like to start by saying, Thanks for giving this story a shot and I aim to entertain. So, the main story has begun. The majority of this story will be told in this narration style, primarily following Ryan's perspective on the tale. Feel free to let me know what you think at any point of the story! :)