Page 1 of His to Break

Chapter one

Calebswelteredontheshadeless cobblestone street. Amidst the blazing sun, his shirt clung to his skin, soaked in sweat, a relentless reminder of the scorching heat.

It matched the danger he was dodging.

His eyes squinted against the harsh sun, a sign of his constant alertness as he weaved through the bustling marketplace.

Six months had passed since he'd run from the Mirsky family. But the paranoia still clung to him like a shadow, a fear he couldn't shake.

Six damn months on the run,Caleb thought bitterly.Feels like I've been dancing on the edge of a blade.

Suddenly, a delightful giggle broke through his thoughts, a sound like a clear bell in the chaos. Eli laughed with pure joy, a tiny figure of light against the backdrop of fear. His laughter hung in the air, briefly lifting the weight from Caleb's shoulders.

Caleb's heart fluttered as he watched the child play with a stray kitten, his eyes darting between Eli's innocent delight and the unpredictable world around them. "Eli! Don't run off!" he called out, the urgency in his voice betraying his need to act casual. He closed the gap between them in swift strides. "Did you see a kitty, buddy?"

Eli's response was a radiant smile, a reflection of the trust he had placed in Caleb as his guardian. "He's my friend now!" he exclaimed.

Caleb sighed, the weight of his responsibility settling over him like a heavy shroud. "Okay, but you can't just run off. You understand, buddy?"

Never thought I would be the one saying things like this,he groused.

How could he possibly convey to a three-year-old the nuances of danger? How could he make Eli understand that there were people out hunting for them, without scaring the hell out of him?

You see, little buddy, there's a bad man out there who wants to get his hands on you, and your mommy made me promise to keep you away from him…

Yeah, that was an instant recipe for nightmares.

Eli ignored Caleb's despair. "You're my new best friend," Eli said to the kitten. Caleb watched him pat the cat, a mixture of love and worry etched on his face.

Caleb sighed. He had been trying to protect and care for Eli on his own, but a strain had been growing.

Every time they found a nice place, every time they found some nice people… they were forced to leave, always staying one step ahead of their pursuers.

It pained him every time he had to tear Eli away from people the child had grown attached to.

This isn't what Mia had wanted for him.

Don't let them take Eli… I want him to have a normal life.

Yeah, so much for normal. Guilt rose up in Caleb like a sickness. He put on a forced smile to mask his sadness, then scooped up Eli in his arms. "Time to go, my guy."

"But what about my friend—" Eli began to protest.

Nope. Not dealing with that right now. With a pretend grin, Caleb swung Eli around, making airplane noises. "Time for takeoff, pilot Eli!"

Eli's pout dissolved into laughter. "Vroom! Higher!"

Caleb obliged, spinning Eli around a little faster. "Hold on tight, passengers! We're experiencing some turbulence!"

Eli's focus on the kitten disappeared under a fit of giggles. He clung to Caleb, happy.

Caleb's throat tightened. He didn't deserve this boy's unconditional love and trust.

Not someone like him.

It would have been better for Eli for Caleb to find somewhere good for him, somewhere stable, somewhere caring… and then to walk away. In the right country, all it'd take was a little money to convince someone to fudge some paperwork, and then Eli could have a new life.

Eli could have a family. He could have a normal life. Exactly what his mother had wanted for him, when she'd made Caleb promise to look after him.

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