Cain drapes his arm around me and pulls me closer. We sit in silence, gazing out at the city, warmed by the crackling fire.
I have never felt so relaxed or cared for in my entire life. Is this what normal humans experience? Is this what relationships are like? Because if so, I want this. Forever. So fucking bad it hurts.
I stroke my fingers over the pine trees inked into his arms. My lips curl up at the corner. “So much nature. And yet you live in the concrete jungle.”
He turns his arm in the firelight, allowing me to trace the crows circling around sharp mountains reflected in a small lake.
“It was difficult when I first moved here. Crowds fucking sucked, but I needed time to adjust back into society without worried eyes on me all the time. Here in the city, I could hide. I could be anti-social. I could drown in work. No one looked at me twice if I was an off-putting asshole.”
He sinks fingers into my hair, gently stroking over my scalp. “My parents have a big patch of pine trees on their property. My brothers and I used to build forts out of the fallen sticks. Our favorite game was to pretend to be heroes. Childhood at its finest, right? I thought maybe if I etched those memories into my skin, I wouldn’t forget that carefree kid.”
My breath catches in my lungs, and Cain sighs. “Turns out he’s too far gone. Someone else took his place. Someone who scares me. He’s bitter and angry. He makes it hard to enjoy all the good things in life.”
His words pick at me, striking notes of overwhelming sadness. I may not know anger on the same level as him, but Ihavestruggled to find the joy in life as a result of my own trauma. I’ve chased adrenaline to fill voids within myself, even though I know my thefts will never be enough to make me whole.
I hide part of my face in the blanket, hating Cain’s suffering but also loving that he’s giving me such delicate pieces of himself. He’s got such a big heart. I don’t think he even knows it.
My fingers curl around his inked arm and pull it tight to my chest. “Your tattoos are really pretty.”
“Mmm.” Cain musses my hair. “I suppose I like pretty things.”
“Cain?” I murmur, pulse quickening.
“Yeah, baby?”
“You feel like home to me.”
His reply is a long kiss to my temple before he rests his head against mine.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
EZRA
Cain juggles me between his staff over the next two weeks.
I know he’s trying to keep me distracted while he refocuses on hunting Gabriel. According to Rev, they have teams spread out day and night searching for him, but the shipyard raid must have spooked him. There’s been no trace of the crime lord since.
I have my first session with Isaac. Instead of diving into shit that makes my stomach curdle, we go out for wings and beer, as agreed upon when I demolished him in cards. I don’t know if he’s being strategic and trying to create a base foundation of trust between us, or if he actuallywantsto be friends. Maybe he’s just a foodie.
When I hesitated at the entrance of the building, stressed about putting Isaac in danger being seen with me in the city, he just laughedme off.
“I’m a competitive shooter, Ezra. When I’m not in the office or competing, I snipe shit stains from rooftops for shits and giggles.”
Definitely related to Cain.
While I’m starkly aware of Cain’s absences in the mornings, Rev pushes me to the limit in the gym every afternoon. In total, I’ve gained four solid pounds of muscle—and a couple pounds of fat—since Sinro locked me in that meeting room. It’s a noticeable difference on my lean frame.
But it also means I have more energy. With Cain working late nights, I end up channeling that destruction into target practice at the gun range until I’m ready to pass out or I run out of ammunition. By some magic, ammunition boxes are replenished the next day, as if bullets grow on trees around here.
I also get a full day of rest to spend with Jakey. I nap on the carpeted floor of his little home under the watchful eye of Salem, smirking as the two of them shout at a football game on the TV.
Salem joins us for dinner. She gracefully dodges my questions about her jobs, but I’m still hopeful that one day I can assist her.
Unwilling to return to an empty apartment when Salem finally drops me back off at Sinro Enterprises, I hit the elevator button for the thirteenth floor.
The office is silent, with the exception of Cain’s keyboard clacking away. I peek my head into his doorway. When he finally notices me, his eyes drag up and down my body in appreciation.
“Ezra,” he says in the low, sensual tone he saves for me.
