Page 16 of Damaged

“All right. We’ll need to purchase a set you can use. Even if you don’t love them and don’t carry them, you’ll need your own.”

“I have money.” Azrael waved his spoon in the air.

“We can expense them.” Wrath shook his head at Azrael.

“Why, when I have money?”

“Save it for something else.”

“Like what?” Azrael’s lips pursed.

“Your future,” Wrath said.

Azrael scowled and hurriedly ate the rest of the pudding.

“Thanks for dinner,” the boy said, rising from the edge of the bed.

“Where are you off to?” Wrath frowned.

“My house. Call me when you want to train,” Azrael told him and Wrath.

With that said, the boy disappeared out the door, shutting it firmly behind him. Azrael lived at the former SecDef’s home, so at least they knew where the boy slept at night.

Of what Rogue had been able to piece together, Dave’s place was built like a fucking fortress, plus it had assassins and former military personnel going in and out all damned night and day.

“Why do I feel like I was just given an order?” Rogue muttered and opened a pudding before handing it to Wrath. When the man took the dessert, Rogue opened his own.

“Seriously,” Wrath agreed. “I bet you someday, Azrael will be the leader of Erebus.”

“Probably.”

Rogue could see that. Although Azrael was young, the boy had an old soul. He’d lived through more shit in his short life than most people did an entire lifetime.

It sucked because he had had a chance to get Azrael out from beneath Solomon’s thumb. Only, he hadn’t taken the opportunity and then Azrael had been rescued by Echo.

That should have been his job, and he hated himself that he’d been so far under Solomon’s thumb that he’d failed.

He was a coward. He should have killed Solomon and Tanis himself.

Azrael wasn’t a coward, though, the boy had guts. And that courage had Azrael killing Solomon.

Suddenly, the pudding tasted like dirt, and he placed the container carefully on the tray.

He jerked when Wrath took his hand and linked their fingers.

“You’re the best at the swords.”

“Fisher’s better. He’s smaller and he can move fast.”

Wrath grinned at him. “Yeah, but you can put more force behind the swing.”

Rogue nodded because it was true, he did have the muscle. Wrath pushed the tray cart with his free hand and the small table rolled away.

“Are you staying the night?”

“No.” He ignored the hopeful tone in the man’s voice, pried their fingers apart, and stood from his chair to step away from the bed.

When silence settled between them, he darted a look toward the bed and found Wrath’s face turned away from him, gazing at the darkness beyond the window.

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