e not slipping, J

d a smile.

e built this empire on discipline. Not feeling

t blink. But something

erst

s,

ecause the day you start hesitatin

g silver shadows across the stones. Rin stood

ied to

idn't

vered f

no a

Rin p

haunted. "Because I

lty, Jack. That'

" he sai

e playing a dangerous game

" Jack finished

ront of him. "The

away. "I don

Fast. Because this world?

. "Good thing I haven'

ok. "Maybe not out lou

idn't

rk wood, heavy silence, a sin

shirt. The dull pain from the bullet wound w

ared, the room filled with smo

ppened that nigh

dried up. He

at n

intelligence." j

ight Jack Charlie dragged you into that ca

"We ran into trou

home covered in blood. Your should

sappeared for almost twelve

mained

ind out? You think I

took a bullet. But not

hest ti

et anyone close enough to shoot you? Unless..

s back. He knew what this was. A test.

(qui

handled it. That's a

desk slowly. His shadow stret

orn (

feel when someone is lying to me. You came back d

sed beh

it

med in his chest

I protect

apo

y what I'm tryi

his. The warmth of that night. The confusion. The surrender. But none of that mattered

d his father. His voice

a

know I hate J

narrowed

(fir

he talks, the way he thinks he's smarter than everyone

a slow

rget what the Charlies did to us. What Jack's fathe

studied him-like a man watching a

epping

part. That's the truth. Jack Charl

Vavaporn tilted

apo

ou took a bull

r half a second-b

(col

ss, not because I was saving anyone. I was too

ther's eyes,

a

e, I'll kill Jack Charlie

, shredding pieces of the boy who kissed Jack in a quiet room and

use. Not in fr

heavy door closing behind him with a click

xpression cold. But i

still clinging to his skin like sweat. He had

his pocket, pull

w Me

posed to see. A name he s

a