Page 35 of His to Break

"Despite being his brother, you clearly don't know shit," Ryker snarled, his eyes blazing with barely contained fury. "Right now, there's no one in the world that loves Eli more than Caleb does."

The room fell silent, all eyes turning to Ryker as he stepped forward, his muscular form casting an imposing shadow. Zane's grip on Caleb remained firm, but even he couldn't ignore the raw passion emanating from the older man.

"Let me tell you something about Caleb," Ryker continued, his voice dripping with disdain for their skepticism. "He's everything to that little boy. He actually cares about him – not like the rest of you, who just see him as something to possess."

Caleb's heart raced, and he couldn't help but stare at Ryker in awe. No one had ever stuck up for him like this before. The sheer force of Ryker's conviction left him feeling lightheaded, as if he were floating above the ground. He wanted nothing more than to run into Ryker's arms, to feel the warmth and strength that radiated from the older man.

Rowan stared at Ryker, his cheeks flushed with shame, and for a moment, he seemed to be pleading with Caleb for forgiveness.

But Zane's grip held Caleb firmly in place, unyielding as stone. Zane remained impassive, unaffected by Ryker's words. "Nice speech. Shame it's coming from a Mirsky killer."

He tightened his hold on Caleb and said, coldly, "We're taking Eli. End of story."

As if to punctuate his point, Zane pointed his gun at Ryker.

"No!" Caleb's scream tore through the room, raw and desperate. Rowan reacted in an instant, grabbing Zane's arm and forcing the gun away from Ryker.

"Zane, don't shoot," Rowan pleaded, his voice firm yet laced with a hint of uncertainty. "I know we thought Ryker was holding Caleb hostage, but… it's clear that's not the case."

Zane's eyes narrowed, annoyance flashing across his face like lightning. "You knew the plan, Rowan," he growled, the words dripping with venom. "We were supposed to take out any threats that stand between us and Eli."

Rowan held his gaze, unflinching, challenging the mafia boss himself. "That was before I saw how much these two care about each other – and about Eli!" He stared Zane down, his jaw set in determination. "Our intel was wrong, and you know it."

Caleb watched the exchange, his heart pounding wildly in his chest. It was surreal to see his brother – a boring, responsible stick-in-the-mud – go toe-to-toe with a man like Zane Thorne. The thought bubbled up inside him, and before he could stop himself, he blurted out, "Since when do you boss around guys like him?!"

The corners of Rowan's mouth twitched upward, forming the ghost of a smile. "I guess we've both changed, huh?" he said, a touch of wistfulness in his voice. "Maybe we can catch up later, if you want. I'd like to hear your story, too."

An odd warmth blossomed within Caleb, hope and affection mingling. To think that he might have a chance at rebuilding his relationship with his twin brother – it was almost too much to comprehend. "I'd like that," he whispered, his voice hoarse with emotion.

Rowan's smile was a fleeting thing, the briefest glimpse of sunshine on a stormy day. It vanished as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by a glare that could have melted steel. "Lower your gun, Zane," he said, his voice low and dangerous. It sent shivers down the spine of everyone in the room.

Zane sighed, clearly annoyed by the situation. "Fine," he said coldly, his tone dripping with disdain. "Why are all of you Colbys so complicated?"

But despite his words, he begrudgingly lowered his gun, his icy gaze never leaving Ryker's face. "But you," he warned, pointing an accusatory finger at him, "don't try anything. I don't trust any of Arkady's men as far as I can throw them."

Ryker's lips curled into a snarl, baring his teeth like a cornered animal. The animosity between him and Zane was palpable, a thick cloud of tension hanging heavy in the air. "The feeling's mutual," he growled, his voice rough and menacing.

"Good. Then we understand each other," Zane spat, his dark eyes narrowed in suspicion.

In that moment, all Caleb wanted was to be close to Ryker – to feel the comforting weight of his arms around him, protecting him from the world. As if sensing his need, Ryker took a step forward, closing the distance between them, and pulled Caleb into his embrace without a moment's hesitation.

"Thank you," Caleb whispered, just loud enough for Ryker to hear, his breath warm against the older man's neck. "I was so scared… not for myself, but for you." He swallowed hard, his throat tight with emotion. "I can't go back to living without you."

A tender smile softened Ryker's features, and he smoothed a hand down Caleb's back, the motion both affectionate and soothing. "You won't have to," he promised, his voice low and rich like dark chocolate. "I'm not going anywhere."

As Caleb's eyes roamed over the assembled group, he couldn't help but feel a curious mix of hope and trepidation. Rowan caught his gaze, offering him a half-smile. Zane, on the other hand, was a maelstrom of barely-restrained energy, his glare like ice chips that prickled against Caleb's skin.

"Alright," Caleb began, his voice steady despite the nervous flutter in his chest, "where does this leave us? What's going to happen now? And what about Eli?"

Rowan glanced at Zane, who holstered his gun with a sharp click and crossed his arms over his chest. "In my line of work," Zane said, his voice a cold, threatening monotone, "I'm used to negotiations. But I have to admit, these are the strangest ones I've had to handle."

Zane came across as an asshole.

But if Rowan was comfortable around him… Well, Rowan didn't hang around with actual assholes. There was something else going on there.

Caleb studied Zane's face, searching for any hint of vulnerability beneath that icy facade. And there it was, hiding in the tense set of his jaw and the tightness around his eyes: a flicker of nerves.

And just like that Caleb felt an unexpected, tentative, flicker of warmth toward him. "Would you like to start," he offered hesitantly, "by meeting the nephew you've never seen before?"

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