Page 43 of Scars of Fate

The blood soaking his sleeve told a different story.

Adam’s voice came over the radio.

“Lucas, stay down. Hawk is moving into position.”

A single shot cracked from somewhere high above.

Silence followed.

Then Hawk’s calm voice came over the radio.

“Target eliminated.”

Lucas finally exhaled.

“Good shooting.”

“Told you I’d get him.”

Despite everything, a tiny smile tugged at Lucas’s mouth.

Then he looked at me.

“What were you thinking?”

I stared at him in disbelief.

“What was I thinking?”

“You were in the open.”

“I was helping a child.”

“You almost got yourself killed.”

“So did you!”

“I knew the risk.”

“So did I.”

He opened his mouth.

Closed it.

Then opened it again.

Nothing came out.

Because he knew.

He’d done exactly what I would’ve done.

Exactly what he’d spent years doing himself.

I carefully reached for his injured arm again.

This time, he let me.