Page 8 of Breathe
“Relatively well,” Cash smirked and slipped an arm around Apollo’s shoulder.
“And dorm life?”
Apollo made a face. “I can’t wait until we get our own place.”
“I’ve told you before to say the word and Dave will set you up in a house near campus,” Stone said from the open doorway to Dave’s office that doubled as a library and sitting room.
Apollo smiled. “I know, but we want to buy it for ourselves.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Stone grumbled, but without any heat.
“How long are you staying for?” Azrael turned back to his brother.
“For the weekend. So, meet us for breakfast in the morning.” Apollo yawned, and Azrael was reminded that it was just after midnight.
“You got it.”
He left Apollo, Cash, and Stone in the foyer and turned toward the stairs.
Taking the staircase upward, Azrael didn’t stop until he reached the top level and opened the door to his old room. From there, he dropped his overnight bag on the bed and pulled open the window.
Stepping through the open window, he walked across the dark tiled roof and sat just shy of the edge so that he could hang his legs over the side.
Seeing Apollo and Cash had been a trip. Because they were in college, he didn’t get to see them often, and he was going to take full advantage this weekend to catch up. First thing he would do would bring Apollo in on the information of YA. Not that Apollo would join them, but Azrael wanted his brother to be proud of him.
Gazing up at the stars in the cold January sky, Azrael took a deep breath.
Normally, it wasn’t as clear during the winter months, but tonight was different.
This spot right here reminded him of Real.
Azrael sighed. He really needed to stop thinking about Real.
But that was easier said than done when this was the place he had first gotten to know Real. They had spent so many hours talking on this roof that Azrael felt he knew Real’s heart.
He didn’t. But what he did know was that Real was everything he wanted.
Real understood him. Like, really knew him. And that kind of understanding, forged in the time they’d spent together, came around once in a lifetime.
But he didn’t have much experience with men like Real—a former SEAL. He had met the warrior when he had just turned seventeen and had thought they were destined for things together. He was sure SEALs were called soldiers or servicemen or something like that, but to him, Real would forever be his warrior.
Now, more than two years later, Azrael felt further away from Real than ever.
Voices from below popped him out of the past and he gazed from the stars to the circular driveway where the guards were changing shifts. Leaning back on his hands, he returned his eyes to the sky, looking for the Big Dipper.
He was antsy, but the best thing to do would be to wait a few more hours to access the computer.
He also needed to select another hit job so Erebus didn’t bench him. Not that they would—since jobs seemed to be coming out of their asses at the moment. Every job he took made him stronger, more lethal, and further seasoned.
He needed to be strong, just like the rest of Erebus was. He needed to be strong in order to lead YA.
But not having Real at his side like he envisioned was a bummer.
Whenever he had pictured his future, Real had been a constant. But that wasn’t the case. And now? Now, he would keep putting one foot in front of the other.
Until his attraction for Real faded.
He wasn’t sure when that would happen because from the first moment he had laid eyes on Real, he’d been a goner.
