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Kai
He’d put all the kids to bed and was on his way to the stairs when he saw Kaz slipping into his bedroom and followed, stopping in the doorway. Kaz was angrily pulling his bag out from under the bed. He hadn’t unpacked despite having been at the shelter on and off for months. It broke Kai’s heart.
“Hey, kiddo.”
Kaz looked up, the slight panic in his eyes dissipating when he saw Kai.
“Oh, hey.”
“What’s going on?”
Kaz hesitated for a second before he said, “I’m going home with Jace and Ares.”
His words were soft-spoken, as if he wasn’t entirely sure they were true.
“Ah. Did love slap you upside the head?”
Kaz’s scowl was adorable.
He wrapped an arm around Kaz’s shoulders and pulled him into a hug.
“Don’t worry. I know just how you feel.”
“Did you get adopted by an annoying ass, too?”
A snort had Kai turning his head toward the door where he found Steel grinning at him.
Kai did the mature thing and stuck out his tongue.
“I’m pretty sure I’m the annoying ass in this scenario,” Kai muttered, making Kaz chuckle.
“Hey, now,” Steel said and stepped closer. “I like your ass.”
Kai mock-gasped and put his hands over Kaz’s ears. “Not in front of the kids, babe.”
Kaz pulled away, batting at Kai’s hands.
“I’m not a kid.”
He wasn’t sure which of them snorted the loudest.
Kaz may be a teenager—barely—but he most certainly was still very much a kid. It had taken several months before he’d trusted them enough to open up to them. Everything the kid had said had broken Kai’s heart a little more. If he’d still been an assassin, he would’ve tracked down the people who hurt Kaz and every one of the other kids and he would have killed them all. But he’d found a better way by giving those kids a future and a safe place to call home.
“I guess you’re a Disciple now,” Steel said to Kaz with a wink.
Kaz groaned and shook his head. “I’m really not.”
“Yeah. So, here’s the thing, kid. Once the club adopts you—and let’s not mince words here. You’re definitely adopted now—it’s a losing battle.” Steel put his hand on Kaz’s shoulder and gave him a proud smile. “You’re a Disciple whether you like it or not.”
“I guess it beats being homeless,” Kaz muttered, eyes on the ground.
Kai felt something tugging on his heartstrings and when he met Steel’s gaze, he saw the same affection shining brightly in those steely blues. Between the two of them, it was a wonder they hadn’t already taken home every single kid coming through the shelter.
He’d long forgotten about repenting. He wasn’t even sure anything he did could make up for the lives he’d taken. Instead, he focused on helping the kids because he could. They liked him. He liked them. He could help them through things most of the others couldn’t. He understood them. He knew what to do when the shit they’d been through became too much.
Aside from being a cautionary tale of how bad things could go, thanks to Steel, he was also a good example of what they could become despite everything they’d been through. He didn’t hide things about himself from the kids that were old enough to understand. They needed honesty and earnestness. They needed to know that no matter what they had to tell him, he wouldn’t judge because he’d already done worse himself.
“You ready?” Ares asked as he appeared in the doorway.
