Page 4 of His to Break

Tall and commanding, he held Caleb's arm with the ease of someone who had done this countless times.

"Caleb Colby," the man said. "The boss wants a word with you."

Caleb's world came to a halt.

They'd finally caught up to him.

Chapter two

Targetacquired.

Good. That meant that Ryker was one step closer to wrapping up this whole fucking mess.

It had been months on the road. Months of bad intel, of just barely-missed trails, and of Arkady barking down the phone at him, pent up in his jail cell.

Now, Ryker finally had Caleb Colby in his grasp — literally. Ryker took in the sight of his prey.

Arkady's intel hadn't done him justice. Even in this state, flushed and scared, Caleb was captivating. He may have been nothing but some trashy streetkid, but he had one of those faces that radiated every little flicker of expression. With his tousled black hair, sharp jaw, and his bowed pink lips — currently curving into a scowl — it was no wonder that he'd been a favourite plaything of the Mirskys.

The ones that were into men, that was.

If all of the Mirskys had been into men instead of women, Ryker wouldn't have spent the last few months sweating his ass off chasing Caleb down in the first place…

Ryker looked down at Eli.

The child had a shock of unruly, curly hair that framed his cherubic face, and his wide, innocent eyes held a glimmer of curiosity. Eli's small hand clung to Caleb's, seeking safety and protection.

But as Ryker observed Eli, a rueful realization swept over him. The child's features were a stark reminder of his father, Arkady Thorne. Eli bore an uncanny resemblance to the ruthless mafia boss who had tried to rule the city. The same nose, the same chin, the same intense gaze — everything about Eli screamed that he was part of the Thorne lineage.

Caleb's gaze darted from Ryker to Eli, panic etched into his delicate features. "Don't hurt him!"

Ryker sighed. As if he would ever harm a child. "I'm not going to hurt him."

"Like hell I'd believe that." Caleb shifted, trying to angle his body between Ryker and Eli.

Always protecting the boy. It was admirable… but pointless.

When Caleb tried to wriggle out of Ryker's grasp, Ryker's fingers dug into Caleb's arm, jerking him to a stop. Caleb grit his teeth, stumbling. Eli let out a warble of fear, clinging to Caleb's other hand and staring up at Ryker.

Ryker glared into Caleb's wide, startled eyes. "Don't run."

"You're here to take him back to that monster."

"'That monster' is his f—"

"Don't!" Caleb looked at Ryker, pleading. "Not in front of him."

Caleb was trying to hide who his father was? Great. Ryker had come to retrieve a kidnapped kid, not to deal with this soap opera shit. "I have my orders. I'm taking him back."

A wave of anguish swept over Caleb's face.

Ryker sighed. "But I won't allow any harm to come to the boy."

You, on the other hand…

Ryker eyed the surroundings. This was too open for his liking. Anyone could be watching from the nearby houses. "Get inside."

Caleb searched his face, looking for any sign of deceit. Finally, he nodded. "Fine." Defeat weighed down Caleb's shoulders as he reached for Eli's hand.

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