Page 22 of His to Break

Caleb hadn't even considered the other side of the equation.

The name sent shivers down Caleb's spine. He had heard whispers of Zane Thorne in the criminal underworld, a ruthless mob boss whose reputation preceded him. In the turf war between the Mirskys and the Thornes, Zane matched Arkady's strength and ruthlessness — and that was saying something. To know that Rowan was in his clutches made Caleb's blood run cold.

He forced himself to maintain his facade of sleepy compliance, even though his mind raced with worry and doubt. "Good to know," Caleb murmured, leaning his head against the window and pretending to drift off.

The cool glass offered little comfort, and the desert landscape outside blurred into an unforgiving haze. He tried to focus on that warm, fuzzy feeling the pills were supposed to provide him, but all he could think about was Rowan and Eli, both caught in a dangerous web he didn't know how to untangle.

Hunter glanced over at him, assessing his drowsy demeanor with narrowed eyes. Caleb's heart pounded in his chest, hoping against hope that Hunter hadn't seen through his act. He couldn't afford to slip up now — not when everything was on the line.

"Rest up," Hunter said, though there was no warmth in his voice. "We've got a long journey ahead of us."

A bead of sweat snaked its way down Caleb's temple, the relentless desert sun scorching his skin as it seared through the car window. He swallowed hard, his throat parched and aching.

Glancing at Eli's reflection in the rear view mirror, Caleb's heart tightened at the sight of the kid's puffy, tear-stained cheeks. For a moment, he allowed himself to wallow in self-pity. He'd failed them both -- Rowan, who had always supported him, and Eli, whose innocent eyes looked up to him as a protector.

But Caleb couldn't let his guilt consume him. He needed to act, to find a way to save them all from the jaws of the merciless beast they now found themselves entangled with.

Caleb's eyes flicked to the road signs as they whizzed past, each one announcing where they were headed.

The airport.

His heart raced with the car's engine, his body tense and coiled like a spring. Every moment that passed brought them closer to the point of no return.

He had to act now or risk losing everything.

In a split second, his gaze landed on Eli's bag of belongings in the backseat, its contents spilling out like a treasure trove of possibilities. Caleb reached back for a bottle of juice nestled among the scattered items, an idea beginning to take shape in the corners of his mind.

"Hey, Eli," Caleb said softly, holding up the brightly colored bottle. "You need to drink something, buddy."

Eli shook his head, his puffy tear-stained face scrunching up in protest. "Don't wanna," he mumbled.

"Come on, you've got to stay hydrated," Caleb persisted, trying to mask the urgency in his voice. He shot a sideways glance at Hunter, gauging the man's reaction. Hunter's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing.

Good. Caleb turned back to Eli and gently nudged the juice bottle into his hands. "You gotta drink up, buddy," he said, smiling until Eli reluctantly took a sip, then another, until he was chugging the whole thing down with surprising gusto. That was juice, all right — the stuff was like crack to three-year olds.

"Good job," Caleb whispered, feeling the first tendrils of hope coil around his heart. This one small victory was just the beginning, and he would cling to it like a lifeline. "But it's a hot day today. Have another one..."

Eli looked a little surprised. Two juice boxes was a big treat! He began to gulp the next one down, as if scared that Caleb would change his mind.

"That's a lot of juice," Hunter drawled from the driver's seat.

"What do you know about taking care of kids? Fuck off."

Hunter glared. "I know enough to know that you probably shouldn't say 'fuck off' in front of them. Ah, finally -- here we are."

As they began to pull into the airport, Hunter's demeanor shifted from cold indifference to brusque efficiency. He parked and then hustled Caleb and Eli out of the car, his grip on Caleb's arm and Eli's hand ironclad as he hissed a warning in Caleb's ear.

"Remember, no funny business," he growled, steering them both toward the entrance. "We're getting on the first flight back, and you two are going to behave for me."

Caleb nodded, feigning sleepy compliance as his eyes darted around the bustling terminal, searching for any opportunity to escape. He needed a distraction, and fast…

As if on cue, Eli began to squirm in Hunter's grasp, a look of desperation crossing the kid's face. "I need to pee!" he announced, his voice shrill and insistent.

"Right now?!" Caleb said with fake surprise, trying to act like this was an unexpected turn of events.

Hunter's voice was as cold as ice, his patience visibly wearing thin. "Just hold it, Eli," he snapped, but the kid was having none of it.

"Need to pee! Now!" Eli insisted, his voice escalating in volume until it attracted the attention of nearby travelers. They shot disapproving glances at Hunter, their eyes narrowed with judgment, clearly labeling him a neglectful guardian.

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