Catalyst (Savior Complex #1)

14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Kane

I shifted around in the stiff-backed chairs of my mom’s dining room, trying to pretend she wasn’t staring daggers at me. I tugged at the collar of my shirt as I focused my attention across the table to Shin and Jace.

Normally, Jace’s place was right beside me. After all, someone needed to keep him in line. But, Shin was our cobbled family’s patriarch, and he was sad that Callie didn’t come. I figured Mom would pull Shin to the side and talk some sense into him, but Jace jumped at the opportunity to comfort Shin. His plan? Tell Shin all about the doctor’s appointment and how the baby apparently moved. I think Jace just wanted a chance to gush about Callie and the baby. I swear to God–that man fell in love quicker than anyone I’d ever met, which was impressive because I’d known Sulien.

Jace was practically glowing as he babbled on about our new lover. Realistically, I probably should have been a little jealous, but I loved seeing him happy. It was hard to tell by just talking to him, but Jace had a rough go at life, and having Callie bring him so much joy only made me love her more–even if I would never be able to express it like my boyfriend did.

“I think I have a video of Sawyer kicking… somewhere,” Jace muttered as he tapped through his all-but shattered phone. “We were laying in bed last night, and he just kept moving–and I could see it! I didn’t know babies could do that!”

“That’s how Sulien was.” A rare warmth crossed Shin’s face, causing creases to form near his eyes. “He was always moving, even before he was born.”

Shin audibly swallowed as an all-too-familiar sadness filled his eyes. Talking about Sulien was one of Shin’s favorite pastimes, but it was also hard. I couldn’t imagine the grief that came with losing your child. All I knew was the anguish was strong enough to dash any joy brought on by being cancer-free.

Jace glanced up from his phone and shot Shin an award-winning smile before sliding his phone over.

“Look right there–” Jace pointed to the screen. “You can see her shirt move a little.”

Shin’s eyes softened as he took the device, holding it with the kind of care usually reserved for something priceless. He leaned in, squinting a bit as he focused on the video. Jace had shown it to me last night while we were trying to go to sleep.

And honestly, this whole situation was amazing.

Sulien had never really been great at thinking things through, but we’d thought he was smart enough to wear a condom when having sex. The dude got a full-ride scholarship. He was bright. But book smarts could never make up for a lack of common sense. This whole thing could have ruined Sulien’s life if he was still here, but seeing as he wasn’t, I silently thanked the universe for his carelessness. Especially because I knew our chosen family could never replace blood, not in Shin’s eyes.

His face lit up, lips quivering into a smile as he watched the video over and over again. His expression was strange, almost like he thought he was dreaming, and I wondered if the slight shake in his hand came from the fear of potentially losing everything again .

He’d known Callie was pregnant. We’d warned him before coming to dinner last night. But Shin didn’t want to believe his son would do that to anyone. Not the part where Sulien randomly got someone pregnant–that seemed to be the easiest bit to swallow. But that Sulien would leave his partner to clean up his mess. This week, Shin sang a slightly different tune.

“I have a grandson.” He swallowed the words as he slid Jace’s phone back. “I didn’t scare Callie away, did I?”

Shin watched me as he spoke, and I felt the weight of the last week fall onto my shoulders. Shin terrified her, but I could tell by the look in his eyes that he already knew that. The guy didn’t want the truth; he wanted someone to give him hope that he’d be allowed in the kid’s life.

“She’s sick,” I mumbled, reaching for my glass of wine.

My mom’s eyes flicked to me, her mouth twisting in a way that made me uncomfortable. Last week, she’d been practically begging to meet Callie. Something about being excited that I wasn’t settling for Jace. But seeing her now made me wonder how pure her intentions were.

“Such a shame.” My mom clicked her tongue in disapproval. “I was really hoping that Sulien’s plaything would be a good addition to our family… I guess heroes and villains just aren’t meant to mix.”

She let out an almost sarcastic sigh, and I narrowed my gaze. When Callie freaked out, I thought it was all stress. But, now I wondered if my mom used her fear manipulation to worsen an already unpleasant situation. Her ability was a powerful tool for leading Pittsburgh’s largest mafia, but powers like hers weren’t exactly trusted in any sense of the word. Honestly, if Callie could do anything more than read minds, she probably would have been sentenced to be a villain, just like us.

“Mom.” I sat my glass down a little too forcefully, causing the white wine to slosh around the cup. “I swear to God if you did anything to Callie–”

“I would never .” She pressed a hand to her chest as she gasped. “Kane, she’s a sweet girl–but let’s be realistic. Some people just aren’t built for our world. And while I’m sure she was a lovely distraction for Sulien, he had no reason to be messing around with a Voltaris.”

“Gianna, Callie loved my son. And that’s enough for me,” Shin said firmly before looking at whatever else Jace was showing him.

“It may be enough for you –But how do we know the Voltarises weren’t involved in the showcase disaster? I mean–When my daughter got pregnant at sixteen, I considered killing her boyfriend.” Mom shrugged with a smile. “The only difference is we aren’t above the law… The same can’t be said for heroes.”

Shin’s brows tilted down, his gaze dropping to the table. As much as I hated it, Mom had a point, but the last thing we needed was for Shin to go out seeking revenge for his son.

“Mom, you were pissed Maya got pregnant because you didn’t like the guy.” I reminded her.

Once again, Mom shrugged. “It’s our duty as women to pick men with valuable abilities, Men like Sulien . But, no, she had to make a baby with someone who lacked any ability.”

I almost groaned at my mom’s comment, not only because I’d heard this spiel about Maya and being perfect for Sulien but also because of how tired I was of my mom rehashing the same archaic line of thought over and over.

Sure, it used to be commonplace for heroes and villains alike to pick partners based on the children they wanted to breed, but that whole thing was fucking gross. Not only that, but women weren’t just incubators for the next generation of men.

Luckily, we, as a society, realized that was fucked up. Still, a few women, such as the lovely Gianna Anastasakis, believed power was more important than happiness. That’s why my sister and I had no clue who our dads were.

Fuck, to Mom, people were tools, nothing more. If it hadn’t been for Shin, that belief would have gone unchecked, and he was too powerful for my mom to dispose of.

“My son didn’t fall in love with Callie for her bloodline. He loved her because she saw him. And I need you to stop talking about the mother of my grandchild like that.” Shin warned as he leveled my mom with a look that I knew meant he’d reduce this whole fucking house to ash if she didn’t stop.

“Remember, Shin. You’re a villain now.” My mom let out a heavy sigh as she ran her finger along the edge of her glass. “Honestly, you should have just stayed in Busan if you wanted to continue to play hero.”

Shin’s jaw tightened as his dark gaze bore into my mom. She should have feared the guy, anyone with sense did, but Mom had always felt untouchable.

“Gianna, you should know better than anyone that I do not care how the public labels me.” His voice had that quiet anger that was worse than screaming. “ Hero and villain are just words. As long as my family is taken care of, I’m content. Right now, Callie Voltaris is the only family I have.”

“Her name’s Calista,” Jace added.

Shin cast him a fleeting glance as he let out an annoyed breath. “ Calista Voltaris is my family.”

Mom arched a perfectly manicured brow. “Her father ruined your heroing career, which sent you to me , and you’re going to call her family?”

A look of apathy crossed Shin’s weathered face as his gaze slid to mine.

“Kane, Calista is sick… I think you and Jace should go take care of her,” he said far too calmly.

“What—no?” Jace protested. “I want to watch the old people fight.”

“Jace,” Shin warned before turning to me. “And you… I have a few things for Callie in my bedroom. Is there any chance you’d be able to give them to her?”

When the fight between my mom and Shin wore down, he led me back to his room. I wasn’t thrilled about leaving my mom with Jace, seeing as his favorite hobby seemed to be egging people on. But I didn’t think I had much of a choice.

Shin’s room was as empty as usual, or as he liked to call it, clean and uncluttered . On the wooden nightstand next to his neatly made bed was a stack of carefully arranged items–worn leather-bound journals, faded photographs, and a few half-melted toys. Each of them was labeled with Shin’s impossibly neat handwriting.

“Shin, what is this?” I asked softly, stepping forward just enough to run my fingers over the glossy material of the photos.

The one on top was of a much younger Sulien, maybe five or six, dressed in a WindWeaver costume. His smile was wide enough to showcase his missing front teeth.

Shin’s face softened as tears he refused to shed pooled along his lashes, shining with the same brilliance as diamonds but littered with the tragedy only loss could cause.

“I loved my boy.” He swallowed hard, his voice shaking as he did. “And she loved my boy. Sulien would often call and tell me as such.” Shin’s voice broke as he straightened his back, fighting to compose himself. “From my understanding, she’s lost her father, and I’ve lost my child… and though I will never fill the hole left by Flynn Voltaris, and she’ll never be Sulien.” He stopped again, swiping the photo from my fingers and kissing it before slipping it into his pocket.

His hand lingered over the fabric as if that act alone could anchor him just enough to prevent him from floating away in his grief.

“But,” His voice was softer than before and still just as broken. “I can still be there for her and Sawyer. Whatever they need. It might not be the same… But I will do anything for my grandchild and the woman who filled my son’s life with so much joy, even if only for a little while.”

Seeing him like this was hard. And while my instincts told me to pull him in for a hug, I knew better. So, I gave him time to straighten himself and readjust to the mask of calm he hid behind so well.

“Shin… Are you sure you’re ready to get rid of these?” I asked slowly, moving to pick up the melted Vexxas action figure.

A bittersweet smile twisted Shin’s lips as he ran his fingers over the melted plastic that was once meant to look like his face, careful to make sure he didn’t touch it with all five.

“I’m not,” His voice cracked as he closed his eyes. “But, I need to share Sulien’s memory with his family…And, part of me is hoping Calista will see these and realize that I’m not as bad as her father made me out to be.”

I placed a hand over my lips, fighting the urge to break down just as Shin had. But I knew it wasn’t my place.

“Why don’t you write her a letter instead? Include your phone number, that way, you two can meet up and go through all of this in person.”

The drive home wasn’t a long one, or at least it wouldn’t have been if I hadn’t dragged Jace with me to get dinner for Callie. Sure, I wasn’t going to dedicate my life to a thrilling career in nursing. But… I needed to woo her. I loved Jace, but I wasn’t about to let him win.

So, I decided a burrito bowl from a Mexican joint on the outskirts of town was a small way to tell her I was thinking about her. Lots of cheese, guacamole, fajita veggies, a little more cheese for good luck–oh, and chips on the side. It seemed like something she’d like, and I thought if I could get her something she’d like, I might become someone she wanted.

Jace made fun of me the whole fucking time. Something about this being overkill and then asking if I was jealous that Callie liked him more. Both of which helped me understand why Sul was so quick to gag him.

Jace may have been a dumbass, but he was a correct dumbass.

With that in mind, I refused to let him carry anything as we made our way inside. Because of my full hands, he was the one to open the door.

Callie was stretched out on the couch, dressed in nothing more than a pair of blue short-shorts and a white tank top she had bunched between her breasts and stomach. Her hand rested on her belly, lazily tracing circles on the skin as she focused on whatever slasher film was playing on the TV.

I knew better than to look at the movie. The last time I let Callie pick what we watched, I had nightmares for weeks. Unfortunately, I wish I knew better than to mentally undress her. At least I had more manners than Jace.

“God damn ,” He called, hanging his keys on the ring before making his way toward Callie with long steps. “You’re lucky you’re already pregnant because fuck , if you weren’t, that’d change tonight.”

Callie didn’t dignify him with a look, but a sly smirk tugged at her lips. “What happened to Kane being the chubby chaser?”

Her tone was joking as her eyes languidly slid to mine.

“Oh, I stand by that.” He snorted before falling into the armchair beside her. “I don’t chase . I let my women come to me.”

Callie let out a low, breathy laugh before promptly ignoring Jace, which was the only correct thing to do, really.

“How was dinner?” She asked, focusing directly on me.

The weight of her gaze caused my stomach to flutter.

“It was… fine.” I breathed, finally daring to venture closer. “Shin sent a letter for you… and I got dinner.”

“See–chubby chaser.” Jace quipped. “He’s trying to get more to love–watch out.”

A rush of embarrassment washed over me as I averted my gaze, pinning it on the ground as I extended the burrito bowl and bag of chips toward her. Her hand lingered on mine for a moment longer than necessary as she took it.

“I’m already fat, might as well enjoy myself.” She said casually, popping the top off the container. “Thank you, Kane.”

I gave her a small nod, hovering close by as she dipped a chip into the bowl, wrestling with the urge to tell her she wasn’t fat. But, somehow, that felt like the wrong thing to say. My eyes stayed on her, watching as she enjoyed the food I brought her. But I realized if I stared any longer, Jace was going to make another joke at my expense.

So, instead of enjoying the moment, I placed Shin’s letter in her line of sight.

“Is that it?” She asked around a mouth full of food, and I fought a smile.

I nodded. “I uh, I’m not sure what the letter says, I just know he wants you to come over sometime… He wants to talk about Sulien.”

Her eyes softened as she looked at the envelope, her gaze shifting between it and me. The vulnerability in her expression was unmistakable, but so was her hesitation. After a moment, she put her food down and picked up the letter. I thought she was going to open it, but after a deep breath, she put it down, almost like she couldn’t bring herself to look inside.

My poor, sweet girl.