The Anchor [Brallon-ish]

15

Dallon clears his throat when there's another knock, louder and more urgent. My heart is beating so fast I feel like I'm about to puke my guts out and pass out simultaneously. "Nobody's home?"

There's a loud crackling sound that Dallon seems to recognize, because he ducks and pulls me into his chest just before the door is kicked through the hinges. Splinters fly, but they don't pierce though his jacket. I'd look like a porcupine if he wasn't there.

"Dallon," Hayley stands in the doorway with Jake by her side, a group of armed guards behind them both, "I'm afraid you're going to have to come with us, sweetheart."

"What happened to the Bahamas? Y-You're supposed to be gone?" I can feel him heating up, not his body but just his hands. But more importantly, who the hell sent us the postcard if they've been here the whole time? Unless they didn't even go and just lied about it.

"We don't take vacations," she takes a tentative step forward, "at least, not until this is sorted for once and for all."

Dallon turns, his arm is still wrapped around my body, and he's squeezing like a snake. He's scared out of his mind, but holy shit, I'm pretty sure that I'm about to pop like a balloon in a carnival game. "W-what are you talking about?"

"We know who you are," she says, "we just couldn't act until we knew for sure. We've been watching and waiting until you reached a breaking point and, I don't know, electrocuted us or something. We were told to stand back until we knew for sure that you are The Reckoning's son, but there just comes a point where you can't wait any longer."

"How did you figure it out?" I call out from behind him, and Hayley waves at me like we're still on good terms, like she isn't trying to haul away the love of my life.

"Look at him. They're pretty much identical," her fingers trace his outline, "and we knew The Reckoning had a kid, it was just a matter of time before we pegged you  For gods sake, your parents were friends, Brendon's dad closed the case and everything. We've all been waiting for so long and watching for even longer. We aren't idiots."

Hayley motions over her shoulder and ten people file into the room and surround us in the corner. They all have weapons and thick black vests covering their bodies, obscuring their faces with masks and tinted goggles. Dallon grips my hand in his, and they all raise the guns at the movement. Fuck, his hand is on fire, it's like touching lava. I know he tends to run a bit warm, but oh my god.

It's Jake's turn to lead the way. He keeps Hayley behind him, holding his arm out in front of her. "We always had our suspicions, even when we doubted you and your abilities. Don't take it personally, we love you all the same, but you're an immediate threat to the safety of the city. Don't make this harder than it has to be, Dallon. Come with us and nobody has to get hurt today."

"I'm not going anywhere, I didn't do anything wrong." His voice is shaky, but he squares his shoulders and plants his feet to the ground.

"Someone like you will always do something wrong, people will always get hurt at the hands of someone like you. It's just a matter of time, and we can't risk anything after what happened with your father. We can't risk anymore lives like this. You understand, right?"

He wasn't dangerous before they burst in, but he sure is now. His eyes aren't blue anymore, and I know for a fact he never figured out how to change the color of his eyes no matter how badly he wanted to. "I don't want to hurt any of you, just please, leave us alone. It doesn't have to happen this way."

Hayley steps forward around the protection of her boyfriend, if they really are together like she said. Her hands are held in surrender beside her head, and she reaches out for Dallon's hand as soon as she's only a few feet away. "We aren't going to hurt you. Please, just come with us. You'll be okay."