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Ryker's gaze remained locked on Rowan, his mind racing with a thousand unspoken questions, when the door to the room swung open once more. The air seemed to thicken and grow heavy as someone else stepped inside.
You couldn't work in the underworld without recognizing this man. Zane Thorne, mafia king, stepped into the room, exuding a menacing presence that made Ryker's skin crawl.
Mafia king… and Eli's uncle.
And he wasn't alone.
Every muscle in Ryker's body tensed at the sight of Caleb, held by Zane. His heart hammered against his ribs, adrenaline flooding his veins as he fought the instinct to lunge at the man who dared threaten what was his -- but the pistol in Zane's free hand discouraged that.
Caleb's wide, frightened eyes were fixed on Ryker, silently pleading for help, and it took every ounce of restraint not to act on impulse.
Zane Thorne was like a distorted reflection of Arkady, Ryker's own boss – familiar yet foreign at the same time. He appeared older, but there was an undeniable elegance and refinement to him that Arkady lacked. The tailored cut of his suit accentuated his broad shoulders and powerful build, making him appear both sophisticated and dangerous. But beneath that carefully cultivated facade, fury simmered just beneath the surface.
"Ah, so this is the infamous Ryker," Zane said in a voice smooth as silk, but laced with the unmistakable promise of violence. "I've heard so much about you."
Ryker's jaw clenched as he forced himself to remain still, unwilling to give Zane any reason to harm Caleb further. "What do you want?" he growled, the words barely contained behind gritted teeth.
"Simple," Zane replied, the corner of his mouth lifting in a cruel smirk. "I want my nephew back, and I'm not going to play nice."
The cold, determined gleam in Zane's eyes sent shivers down Ryker's spine. A man like this would stop at nothing to achieve his goal, and Ryker had to tread carefully to protect both Caleb and Eli from his reach -- and now Rowan too, despite his deception and whatever role he was playing in this mess.
"Your nephew?" Ryker spat, unable to keep the disdain from his voice. "You mean the child you've never even met?"
"That may be true, but blood is blood." Zane's eyes narrowed. "He belongs with his family."
Chapter sixteen
Caleb'sheartthunderedinhis chest, the erratic rhythm echoing in his ears as Zane Thorne's iron grip held him captive. His breath came in ragged gasps, and he couldn't tear his eyes away from Rowan, his twin brother who stood next to their captor.
The mix of emotions swirling inside him was dizzying. Relief that Rowan was alive battled with fear at the sight of him helping Zane, the mafia boss demanding to take Eli away from them.
Caleb's chest tightened at the thought, protective instincts surging to the forefront. "Being related by blood doesn't make you family," Caleb spat out, defiance ringing clear in his voice despite the trembling in his body.
He glanced towards Ryker, the older man's stormy eyes mirroring the same fierce sentiment. There was a silent understanding between them, a shared determination: protect Eli at all costs.
Zane's cold, mocking laughter sliced through the tense air like a knife. "I don't give a damn whatyouthink." The utter disdain dripping from Zane's words stung, but Caleb refused to let it show on his face. "The reason I haven't ever met my nephew is because some sassy little pain in the ass kidnapped him before I even knew he existed."
Caleb's anger flared, and he demanded, "Is that why you kidnapped Rowan? To track me down?"
He scrutinized the exchange of glances between Zane and Rowan, trying to decipher the meaning behind it. Rowan turned to meet Caleb's gaze, a hint of something unreadable flickering across his face. "It's… not like that, Caleb," Rowan said softly, the tenderness in his voice out of place in the cutthroat situation they found themselves in.
Caleb's mind raced, desperately trying to make sense of his brother's role in all this, but the puzzle pieces refused to fit together. "Then whatisit like, Rowan?" Caleb's voice cracked with frustration, his body tense with unspent energy. He was a caged animal, straining against Zane's hold, yearning for the freedom to act on the turbulent emotions churning within him. All he wanted was to keep Eli safe, to shield the innocent kid from the darkness that seemed to perpetually surround them.
Rowan's eyes, identical to Caleb's own, held a quiet intensity as he spoke. "We're here to get Eli and take him home," he said, his voice low and controlled, like he was defusing a bomb with every careful word. "Everything is fine, Caleb. Eli will be happy and cared for."
Caleb's chest tightened at the thought of losing Eli, the little boy who had come to mean so much to him in such a short time.
Rowan's gaze never wavered as he continued, pressing the point. "That must be a relief to know, right? You don't need to stay on the run, and you don't need to keep caring for a kid! Isn't that a good thing?"
Something shattered inside Caleb at the thought of being separated from Eli, the fierce love he felt for the boy leaving him breathless. He struggled to find the words to express the depth of his feelings, to make Rowan understand. "I… Ilikecaring for him," he managed, voice thick with emotion.
Rowan's expression shifted, a subtle change that spoke volumes. Caleb knew what he was thinking:Caleb can't be responsible.The unspoken judgment cut deep, and Caleb felt the weight of shame settle heavily on his shoulders.
Images flashed through his mind – the drugs, the wild parties, the countless faceless lovers – all the ways he'd fucked up over the years. No wonder Rowan didn't trust him to care for a child like Eli.
Caleb's heart ached with regret, and he felt himself sinking into the familiar depths of self-loathing. Was Rowan right? Had he been deluding himself this whole time, thinking he could ever be a proper guardian for Eli?
Just as Caleb's thoughts threatened to pull him under, Ryker's voice cut through the haze like a blade.
