‘You know what, you wanna go?Go.Leave.’
Riley’s swift return to his calm demeanour hurts so much, worse almost than learning this new, hideous truth Kade doesn’t even know how to swallow.
‘Why did you call me Kade?Tell me that at least?’
But for whatever reason, his boss remains silent.
It’s Lachlan who tells him.‘Your codename in the Estate wasCascade.’
It’s just a codename, Jules.
…and I’m a clusterfuck, is that right?’
Kade winces hard, head pain flaring bright and loud.
His world isdisintegrating, cracking apart.
The ground is opening.
Strange, pale blue hell lurks beneath.
He reaches blindly for Lachlan.‘Get me out of here.’
?
They head out via the grounds, and no one tries to stop them.
Kade slows when he sees the typical limit ahead, the line of no return where, usually, he’d experience a brutal, agonising turnaround.
This time he makes it through with no issue, only his own apprehension, which calms when he massages his wrist.Lachlan waits for him up ahead, standing between the trees.The sun will set in a few hours.The skies are at their most lovely, gold and lavender.
‘Good job.’
‘Fuck off.’
‘Where do you wanna go?’
‘Away.’
‘You got it.’
‘Is your car nearby?’
‘No.’
‘You walked here?’
‘Yeah.’
‘Fucking hell, Bodyguard.’
‘Walking’s good for you.’
Kade shoots him a withering look.‘I hate you.’
‘I’m used to it.’
In sulky silence, Kade makes it farther than he ever has before, and after a few minutes, the roiling fear within dissipates.He’s on new earth, under new skies.The grounds give way to a path.The path leads to a sidewalk.
