Page 26 of His to Break

Caleb shook his head, his smile weak but reassuring. "No, it's nothing like that. Hunter just had a little insurance policy. Even if I did run, I wasn't going to get very far."

"Uncle Caleb had to take yucky medicine," Eli piped up, scrunching his face in distaste.

Ryker shot him a look. "Hospital?"

"No! Nothing like that. Really, I'll be fine," Caleb insisted, his voice softening yet stubborn. He leaned back against the seat, the car's vibrations lulling him toward sleep. "Let's just say that I have… a high tolerance. I'll be fine."

Ryker frowned, his concern for Caleb warring with his dominant nature, unwilling to let go of his protective instincts. He glanced over once more, the sight of Caleb's languid sprawl igniting an ember of desire deep within him. "You sure?"

"Yeah. Just… promise me you'll protect Eli, no matter what happens," Caleb murmured, his voice thick with drowsiness.

"Of course," Ryker growled. The promise came easily. "I swear it."

Caleb's gaze lifted to meet Ryker's, and in that moment, the world seemed to slow down. "You know," he began, his words slurred by encroaching sleep, "I know what your orders are for me."

Ryker's heart stuttered in his chest. His grip on the steering wheel tightened even more. His mind raced through the implications, the weight of betrayal and guilt settling heavily on his shoulders.

You were sent to kill me, Caleb didn't say, not wanting to say it in front of Eli. "But that's okay.ever fated to live a long life, I suppose," Caleb continued, his eyes beginning to slide shut. "But you came for us… You got him back…"

He smiled faintly, his lips curving into a bittersweet expression. "As long as you promise to protect Eli… Keep him away from those mafia assholes… I don't mind what you do with me. Warm, fuzzy… It won't hurt once I'm out." He let out a soft chuckle. "There are worse options, after all."

Ryker's chest tightened, a mixture of anger and sadness simmering beneath his gruff exterior. Who was this man that he'd been ordered to kill? This man who had suffered so much, yet still found the strength to care for an innocent child?

"Dammit, kid," Ryker muttered, his voice thick with emotion. "Don't talk like that."

But Caleb continued, his voice barely above a whisper. "Having you carry out Arkady's orders... It might just be the nicest way for me to go." He looked up, his eyes glinting beneath dark lashes. "Warm, no pain… and I get to pretend, for just a little while, that someone actually cares about me."

The words hung heavy in the air, settling like dust on Ryker's skin. He glanced at Caleb, taking in the vulnerability etched across his face — a stark contrast to the bold defiance he'd come to know.

"Stop talking, Caleb," growled Ryker. "Right now."

As if lulled by the hum of the engine, Caleb's eyelids drooped, his breathing slowing to an easy rhythm. His head lolled against Ryker's shoulder, his body going warm and heavy.

Ryker's mind raced with thoughts of Arkady, the mafia boss who had sent him on this mission — his command to bring Eli home and put an end to Caleb’s life.

It would be simple, really. Just another job, another broken soul left in the wake of the ruthless underworld he served.

But he'd rejected that. As he felt the steady rise and fall of Caleb's chest against his arm, Ryker knew without a doubt that this was different. For once, what he was doing now wasn't just about following orders, about proving his loyalty to a man who valued him as a weapon.

No, this... This was about choosing the path less traveled.

About forging a new destiny.

With a steely determination, Ryker pressed his foot down on the accelerator, the car's engine roaring like a wild beast unleashed.

For the first time in a long time, the world was his.

Chapter thirteen

Calebawokefromthedepths of a deep, dreamless sleep, a rarity for him. His nights were usually haunted by nightmares that left him drenched in cold sweat and gasping for breath.

But this morning, he felt cocooned in warmth, strong arms enveloping him in a tender embrace. He breathed in the scent of the man holding him – earthy with hints of leather and gunpowder, an aroma that was somehow both dangerous and comforting.

For a fleeting moment, Caleb think about who he was, or the past that clung to him like a second skin. He allowed himself to melt into the embrace, his own wiry body fitting perfectly against the hard planes of the other man's chest.

But reality came crashing back as Caleb reluctantly opened his eyes, fully awakening. He found himself snuggled up to none other than Ryker Baranov — the man once sent to kill him.

The sight of the bruise on Ryker's jaw jolted him even more awake. "Damn, that's a hell of a bruise," Caleb murmured with a mixture of concern and disbelief.

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