Retribution (Anthem River)

Chapter 34

Chapter

Thirty-Four

“ T his was Mr. Cortez’s room,” Kade said softly as he moved closer to the little window in the door so he could see if there was anyone in there. He didn’t want to disturb anyone if there was a class going on. He didn’t see anyone so he gently opened the door and poked his head in. “All clear,” he said to Ram and they both entered. “Oh, my God,” Kade said through his laughter as he pointed to one of the desks. “That was my desk.”

Ram leaned closer and could see several curse words and Kade’s name carved into the glossy wood. “I see you paid very close attention to your studies,” Ram teased, making Kade huff out a laugh.

Kade shrugged. “You know me, always the studious one.”

Ram chuckled as he looked around. The room stood out more than the others, while it was still shabby in the construction of it, the room was kept meticulously clean. The walls were covered in maps and posters from historical events from all around the world. “Looks like it’s still a history class.”

Kade nodded and moved closer to some of the maps. As he got closer something caught his eye. “Holy shit.” He reached out to touch before he could stop himself.

“What?” Ram asked, coming up behind him to look over his shoulder. “Is that?”

Kade nodded as he held the pieced together diorama he’d made all those years ago. The little project was made from cardboard and crudely colored but it showed Ramses the Great sitting on his throne overlooking the Nile. A large boat floating in the water was full of food and treasures.

“What is it supposed to be?” Ram asked, smiling as he took in his boy’s artistic ability.

“It’s supposed to be the Min Festival. It was a festival they put on every year in the last month of summer. From what historians say the Pharaoh would have walked towards the Nile, stripped and then masturbated into the Nile. It was thought when he did that he would ritually ensure the Nile would continue to flow. There were also supposedly others that did it with him.”

Ram smothered his laughter against Kade’s shoulder. “Did you really make a project about a man masturbating into a river?”

“He did a good job of it too,” a deep voice said from the doorway.

Ram jumped and whirled around. He hadn’t been expecting company but he couldn’t really get mad about it.

Kade snorted. “I was wondering if you would ever figure it out.” Kade smiled at his old teacher. The man hadn’t changed much in the years since. He was a smaller man that was built like a tank. Mr. Cortez’s warm amber skin was still as beautiful as ever. His black hair had some gray woven through the strands but was still full and wavy, and his warm laughing light brown eyes smiled back at him.

“It is good to see you again, Kade,” Mr. Cortez said through his smile.

Kade grinned. “You too. Ram, this is Mr. Cortez. Mr. Cortez, this is my partner, Ram.”

Ram shook the man’s hand and looked at Kade with questions in his eyes.

Kade chuckled. “I came out to Mr. Cortez after I came out to Carnage.”

“You can just call me Andres.” He smiled at them. “My classroom is always a safe space. I myself am bisexual and am always a lending ear for my kids in my class.”

“I only stayed in school for your class.” Kade told him. “Everything else didn’t seem worth it.”

Andres leaned back against his desk and crossed his arms. “What did you become Kade?” he asked, his lips quirking.

“I followed your lead and joined the military when I was seventeen. I was medically discharged about seven years ago after a stint as a POW,” Kade told him.

Andres looked at him closely. “I thought something about you looked different.”

Kade nodded. “Yeah, my eyes. I’m blind, but every once in a while my vision will return for a week or two before it fades back to black. This will probably be the last time so I wanted to bring Ram here to show him some things.”

Andres’ brows furrowed. “I’m sorry to hear that, Kade.”

Kade smiled and shook his head. “Don’t be. I run a multi-million dollar security company and am doing very well for myself. My eyesight is not that big of a deal in the long run.”

Ram was ridiculously proud of his boy.

Andres grinned. “I am very proud of you, Kade. You were always my favorite student. The joy you got from learning about history made my job the best ever.”

Kade smiled wide. “You always made it fun.”

Andres dropped his head and shook it as he laughed. “How can you teach kids if you don’t make it fun?” he asked, grinning at them.

“Very true,” Kade agreed. “I can’t believe you fixed this,” he said, holding up his little diorama.

Andres smiled. “It was one of the best I’ve seen in all my years of teaching. I knew how hard you had worked on it. I have the patience and knowledge to fix things so I gave it a shot, and it’s had a prized spot on my shelf ever since. All my students know they can touch and hold everything but that. That one is off limits.” He pointed at the cardboard in Kade’s hands.

“I’m really glad I sent you that picture,” Kade said, huffing out a sardonic laugh.

Andres shrugged. “I still would have given you a passing grade because you tried.” Anders rolled his eyes. “I must warn you that Toby is the Vice Principal now.”

Kade made a face making Andres chuckle. “I know what you mean. This will be my last year. Principal McGuire is still here, I think he’s afraid to retire and leave this all to Toby, but he’ll have to retire at the end of this year.”

“Is that why you’re leaving?” Kade asked.

Andres nodded. “Yeah, me and the husband are planning to move somewhere warmer.” He waggled his brows.

Kade threw his head back and laughed. “That’s priceless. Well if you're ever in the area I opened my business in Anthem River, Texas. I could always use a man with your skills.” He handed Andres a business card. “Most of the men I served with are employed with me now, and I normally look for someone with a military or police background.”

Andres nodded, studying the card before he held it up and nodded. “Thank you, I appreciate this.”

Kade shrugged. “If it hadn't been for you, I would have just become another statistic in this neighborhood. You gave me something to look for on the outside and I’ll never be able to repay you for that.”

“The man you’ve become is payment enough,” Andres said with a bright smile as he hugged Kade tight. “It really is good to see you, Chico.”

Kade chuckled at the nickname and hugged the man back. He set his little project back in its special spot and grinned. “Thank you for fixing it. I was so damn proud of it,” Kade sighed.

“You should be,” Anders told him. “It’s the talk of the school and all the teachers are jealous of it. I normally either lock it up or take it home at night,” he told them seriously. “I don’t trust a certain someone to not try something, but thankfully my students are incredibly protective of it as well and help me keep an eye on it.”

Kade was floored. He couldn’t really grasp why the man would go through so much trouble but he really appreciated it. “Thank you.”

Andres nodded. “I’ll talk with the hubby and let you know about your generous offer.”

Kade chuckled. “You do that, and if needed, let me know and I’ll fly you out so you can see the area first before you decide.” Kade shook his hand again. “I hope to see you again soon.” He gestured to his eyes. “If I don’t, I at least hope to hear from you again.”

“You will.” Andres promised him. “Thank you for coming to see me.”

Kade noted. “It didn’t start out that way, I didn’t think you’d still be here.”

Andres chuckled. “Yeah I didn’t either, but the hubby is stationed here right now but he gets out in a few months.”

Kade grinned. “Tell him I said congrats.”

Andres smiled. “I will. He’s been hearing about you for years, so I know he’ll want to meet you.”

Kade nodded. “I can’t wait to meet him. I know you have another class coming so we’ll get out of your hair. I’ll be seeing you.”

Andres nodded, hugging him one more time and shaking Ram’s hand as they left.

Ram knocked his shoulder against Kade’s. “Are you glad you saw him?”

Kade nodded, smiling sheepishly at Ram. “Yeah I am. It’s hard to describe what he means to me and all he helped me with.”

Ram nodded. “He was your childhood hero. You’re bound to always look up to him.”

Kade nodded and smiled softly. “I look up to you too, but yes he’s one hell of a man to look up to.”

Ram huffed out a laugh and rolled his eyes. “My ego isn’t that fragile.”

Kade waggled his eyebrows. “Are you sure? I saw you sizing him up?”

Ram refused to blush. “The man is hot, sue me. It wasn’t like you weren’t looking either,” he grumbled walking away as Kade laughed.

Once they were back out on the street Kade led him a few blocks down into the more dilapidated part of the Bronx.

“There.” He pointed to a building that should have been condemned during the First World War by the looks of it. “We lived on the third floor in the back. It was this really shitty studio apartment that we all four lived in.”

Ram winced. “That had to have sucked.”

Kade nodded emphatically. “Most of it did, but on the nights that our parents weren’t home, Carnage would make things so fun. He always had a little hidden pile of cash that he saved and he would always go and get some snacks while I made a fort in the living room. He had a friend that would let him borrow his little portable movie player and we would spend the night huddling under the covers watching movies.” Kade grinned widely. “Those were the best nights of my fucking life.”

Ram smiled at his boy's joy and made a mental note to have a fort party to watch movies soon.

Kade kept them moving down the street. “That’s the little convenience store Carnage worked at.”

Ram nodded. He could just picture a little Kade sitting on a rolling chair kicking his little legs as he stuffed his face with chips while his older brother worked. “Hold on.” He grabbed Kade’s arm to get him to stop as his phone rang. “Hello.”

“Ram, we got him,” Doc’s voice said, through static.

Ram met Kade’s eyes and nodded. “We’ll be back soon.” He hung up and just looked at Kade.

“What’s going on?” Kade demanded.

“They got him.” Was all he had to say for it to hit Kade. Whose eyes filled with tears before he closed them. “Let’s go back to the hotel and we can make a plan okay?”

Kade just nodded, letting Ram drag him along.

Ram manhandled Kade into the room and sat him on the bed. It seemed his boy had shut down in response to the news and he couldn’t really blame him. Kade’s mind was doing whatever it took to protect him from any more trauma. He set about packing up all their stuff and changing their flight to an earlier time. He cupped Kade’s cheek and stroked his soft skin until his boy looked at him. “Get some sleep baby, the flight isn’t for a few more hours and I know you can’t sleep on the plane.”

Kade nodded, rolling to his side, grabbing a pillow and pulling it into his chest. Ram sat with him and stroked his back as the pillow became wet and Kade slipped into sleep. He really fucking hoped this would be the end of everything because he didn’t know how much more Kade could take.

Once he was sure Kade would stay asleep he got back up and called Justice.

“Ram, is everything okay?” Justice demanded in way of a greeting.

Ram sighed. “Yes and no. I just wanted your advice on something… hypothetical.”

Justice hummed. “Okay, tell me.”

“Say I know someone whose tormentor has been captured and they want to go and see that person… Would that be a good idea?” Ram asked. He knew Justice knew what he was talking about but he didn’t want to come out and say it knowing what could happen.

“It depends. It could go one of two ways… really good or really bad. Do you think this person is strong enough to face their demons head on?” Justice wondered.

“They wouldn’t be alone so yes I do believe so.”

“Okay, then I would recommend aftercare be the biggest part for this person. Seeing their tormentor will be very hard on them and they’ll need some TLC afterwards,” Justice warned him. “I would make sure things are ready before you go so you don’t have to waste time when you’re back trying to get things ready when they could be needing you right then.”

Ram nodded. “Thank you, Justice.”

“My pleasure. Keep him safe.” Was all Justice said before he was gone.

Ram sat back and tried to calm his racing heart. The man wasn’t going to make it out of that room alive and he didn’t know if he wanted to give Kade the honor or if he wanted it himself. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths to try and calm himself. He wasn’t someone who’d ever really hated another person before so to feel the overwhelming weight of it wasn’t something he ever wanted to get used to. He woke Kade about thirty minutes before their flight, and they boarded just as the gates were closing.

Back in Anthem River Doc met them at the airport to pick them up.

“Where is he?” Kade demanded immediately.

“He’s contained, and waiting on you with Devin. I’m sure he’ll be ready to tell you anything you want to know to get away from him,” Doc said cheerfully. “Come on load up and I’ll take you to him.”

Ram allowed Kade to lead the way and he hopped in the back. He didn’t say anything and just sat back. He knew Kade was on edge and he wanted to give him the space he needed to process everything he was feeling. He startled when clammy fingers interlocked with his own and he looked over at his boy.

“Thank you for coming with me.”

Ram winked at Kade. “Always, baby. Always.” He kept a hold of Kade’s hand hoping he was giving his boy the strength he needed to get through this. “No matter what happens, I'll be there for you at the end. Do what you need to do and I’ll pick up the pieces.”

Kade swallowed hard before he sucked in a deep breath and nodded.

The drive took a little over half an hour before they reached the countryside. Doc pulled up a long overgrown stretch of road before they came to a clearing that was dark and crowded by overhanging trees and branches. The cabin itself looked like one powerful gust of wind could blow it away.

Ram could see Scorpion sitting on the front steps, a very large, very scary gun resting across his lap. He stood as they moved closer, tossing the barrel over his shoulder. He leaned over to whisper in Kade’s ear. “Do you think he’s overcompensating for something?”

Kade snorted so hard he almost choked, while Doc cackled like a deranged witch.

“I’m going to use that later,” Doc said, gleefully as he rubbed his hands together.

Ram rolled his eyes. “Glad I could be of service,” Ram grumbled before his mouth was taken in a searing kiss. He grunted against Kade’s lips before he sank into the kiss.

“I love you,” Kade whispered when he pulled back.

Ram smiled gently and traced Kade’s bottom lip. “I love you too, baby.” Ram stayed back as the other men moved them into the house. From the outside it looked like a rundown cabin in the middle of the woods.

“They’re downstairs in the basement,” Scorpion said, his deep voice sending shivers up Ram’s spine.

Kade grabbed Ram’s hand on his way down the stairs. He wanted his man with him otherwise he wouldn’t be able to face the man.

“I’ve got you,” Ram murmured in his ear.

“Here you go.” Doc handed Ram a couple syringes. “I figured you’d enjoy these and get your own revenge for Kade.”

Ram nodded and grabbed the man’s shoulder. “Thank you.” They left Ram and Kade to go down on their own.

Kade paused in the doorway. He knew the men couldn’t see him but that didn’t stop the feeling of being covered in ants taking over his body. “He looks smaller than I imagined,” Kade murmured.

Ram squeezed his hand. “Our minds have a way of making those we’re scared of a lot bigger than they are.”

It didn’t help that the man tied to a chair was a shell of his former self. Gone was the scary terrorist and in his place was a man who’d lost too much weight and looked like a gaunt skeleton that had escaped a graveyard. His clothes and hair were dirty and covered in God knows what, and he almost felt bad for the sick amount of pleasure he was getting at seeing this man at his lowest. Devin was tied to another chair, his mouth covered in several layers of duct tape as he continued to try and scream through them. Kade sighed and shook his head. “He was always a little bitch when he didn’t get his way.”

Ram snickered. “I’ve known a few of those over my lifetime.”

Kade knocked his shoulder against Ram’s. “Are you ready for this?”

Ram nodded. “I’m excited to see you in action.”

Kade chuckled. “Alright, I’ll make sure to give you a show.” He gently kissed Ram’s lips.

Ram smacked Kade’s ass. “It'd be better if you were naked, but I guess I’ll have to wait.”

Kade shook his head as he laughed. “I promise after we get out of here and shower you can have me all to yourself.”

Ram grabbed the back of his head and yanked him into a deep kiss. “I’ll hold you to that.” Ram was amazed as Kade’s face changed. Gone was the man that had just been teasing him and in his place was the special forces soldier he’d heard so much about. He followed Kade in but stood near the door just in case Kade wanted him to leave. He would never deny his boy anything at this point and if he needed the space to fight his demons alone he’d give it to him. He wouldn’t like it but he’d do it.

“Fancy seeing you here.”

At Kade’s voice the man who Ram couldn’t even remember the name of looked up. His eyes widened in shock. Ram couldn’t really blame him, from everything he’d heard Kade had packed on a shit ton of muscle since his release from the military so seeing a man that you tried to kill more than once standing tall in front of you had to make you question every single choice you’d ever made in your life.

Kade barely spared Devin a glance as he continued to try and scream behind his gag. It was almost funny, he was doing nothing but wearing himself out and making things harder on his body. The guy was an idiot so he deserved everything he got. To see his tormentor now and to not be afraid was a weird feeling. Both good and bad, like he was too afraid to be happy about it and waiting for the other shoe to drop. Kade pulled another chair over and sat directly in front of the man, just outside his line of reach. The man couldn’t get to Kade even if he wanted to and Kade could see that fact pissed him off. He’d been calling the man Shaytan in his mind for years, which was the Arabic word for devil, and to see him now made it feel almost like he was cheated.

“You should be dead,” Shaytan hissed.

Kade grinned at him. “Probably, but you’re not as good as you think you are. Hell, you trying to blind me didn’t even work.”

Shaytan’s brows furrowed as he studied Kade’s eyes.

Kade met him head on and didn’t flinch. “I know right, it looks like I should be blind right? But I’m not.” He looked over at Devin. “He’s wearing a suit that is definitely cheap and not tailored. Needs to come out more in the waist,” he whispered, gesturing to his waist and making a face. He could hear Devin's response to that muffled by the tape and smiled. “I should have invested in some tape a long time ago,” he said cheerfully.

“So I take it you’re going to kill me now?” Shaytan asked, acting like he didn’t care but his eyes gave him away.

Kade snickered. “No, not yet at least, but I do have a present for you.” He reached out to Ram who placed the syringes in his hand. He turned back and held them up. “I’m going to inject you both with what you gave me, then I’ll untie you and leave you both in here and we’ll see who’s standing afterwards yeah?” He moved closer and laughed when Shaytan tried to jerk away from him. He grabbed the man’s hair and yanked his head back. “I know your God doesn’t look too kindly on gay men so now you get to answer for even more sins and I hope you never get peace in the afterlife.” He pushed the needle into the man’s neck and pushed down the plunger. He didn’t bother to be gentle about it, the man had never shown him or his men any type of kindness in the months they had been in captivity. He moved to Devin who seemed to be begging behind the tape. Kade knew exactly what his ex’s fate would be and he couldn’t really bring himself to care. “This is for Maria, because she didn’t deserve what you did to her and I hope you feel every single thing she did before her body gave out.” He met Devin’s terrified eyes as he injected the last syringe into his arm. He waited a few moments before it kicked in and he kicked the chairs out from under them before he headed towards the door. He shut the heavy metal door on Devin’s screams of terror.

Kade led Ram back upstairs. “Let me know when they’re done, and who’s left standing. Once you feel it’s been long enough, take care of what’s left,” Kade told Doc and Scorpion as he pushed Ram towards the door. He was ready to go home and sleep for a week.

“With pleasure,” Scorpion told them.

Ram was so fucking proud of his boy, and the fact that he just watched what he did and was still able to say that should worry him but he didn’t care. “I’m proud of you.”

Kade looked back at Ram as they reached the truck. “Thank you.” He looked off into the woods and sighed. “I guess it’s time for me to let go of the past isn’t it.”

“Maybe. I think you should hold on to those memories that you hold so dear. I think they bring you a lot of peace that you need to make it through,” Ram told him, gently caressing his face. “I know your dream hurt you and I’m sorry you went through that, but they are always with you.” He tapped Kade’s temple. “In here.” He placed his hand over Kade’s heart. “And in here. No matter what Kade, they'll always be with you.”

Kade’s lips quirked. “Thank you.”

Ram smirked. “Now are you ready to go home so I can take care of you?”

Kade sighed heavily. “Yes, please.”

Ram took Doc’s car and drove them back to his place, holding onto Kade’s hand the whole way. “Let’s shower first.” He chuckled as they headed inside, God he was so happy to be home. He started the shower as Kade stripped and tossed the clothes he was wearing into a trash bag and set them outside. Ram quirked a brow.

Kade shrugged. “I’ll never be able to get the smell out.”

Ram chuckled and followed a naked Kade into the shower. He soaped up Kade first, taking every opportunity to run his hands over Kade’s warm skin. He kissed the back of Kade’s neck as he wrapped his arms around his waist. “Are you okay?”

Kade nodded and leaned back against him. “I think so. It doesn’t really seem real yet.”

Ram nodded. “I can understand that.” He washed Kade down quickly and dried him off before they headed to bed. Once Kade was relaxed and laid back he started kissing every inch of Kade’s body.

Kade woke the next morning deliciously sore and utterly relaxed. Ram had definitely kept his promise. He opened his eyes and his heart sank. His vision was completely gone. All he could see now were shadows and the difference in light and dark. He tried to hold back the sob that was trying to choke him.

“Kade, baby,” Ram said groggily as he reached for Kade. His boy was scrubbing at his eyes and looking around but by the whimpering noises he was making he could no longer see anything. “Shh, I’ve got you.” He pulled Kade into his arms and held him tight as he lost his battle with his tears.

Kade held on to Ram tight as he sobbed his anguish into his neck.

Ram didn’t offer Kade any platitudes knowing they would only hurt his boy in the long run. He just held his baby tight and rocked him. He knew Kade had been going back and forth on losing his vision again and if he could switch places with him he would in a heartbeat. He rubbed Kade’s back as he started to dry heave from crying so hard.

Kade didn’t even know where to begin. It wasn’t like he didn’t know he would lose his vision, but to have it happen so soon was just a hit to his already battered soul that he couldn’t take. “I’m sorry.” He would be embarrassed about his breakdown later but right now he was just too damn worn out to give a shit.

“Kade, I don’t want you apologizing for the way you feel. I can’t even begin to imagine how you feel right now, and I’m sure as hell not gonna tell you to get over it. If you wanna scream, cry, throw and break things go ahead. I’ll still be here when you’re done.”

Kade shook his head.

Ram grabbed the lube. He was going to give Kade something only one other man had ever had before, and that had been just a test. “Lift up.” He told Kade and helped him ease back before he slathered his cock in hand warmed lube before he started prepping himself.

Kade’s brows furrowed. “What are you doing?” he asked, sniffing hard.

“Giving you something I think you need to know that you own all of me.” Ram didn’t waste any time before he settled back and moved Kade into position over him. He would have laughed had he not been a little worried. Kade still looked so confused and it was absolutely adorable. He lifted his hips and pushed himself down Kade’s length.

Kade jerked in surprise before he groaned deeply. Fuck, Ram was so tight it made his eyes cross with the intense pleasure.

Ram grunted as Kade thrust deeper.

“Sorry,” Kade mumbled and forced himself to sit still.

“You’re okay, baby. It’s just been a long time for me. You’re not hurting me, baby, you can move,” Ram said, breathlessly. He’d forgotten how full he would feel, and Kade was definitely bigger than the last one and he hit all the right spots.

Kade moved slowly at first before he was able to find a pace that worked best for them. While Kade liked the rougher side of sex Ram seemed to love the slow intense side. Sweat was already dripping down his face as he forced himself to keep his pace steady.

Ram arched his back when Kade grazed his prostate and grabbed the hair on the back of his boy's head. “You gonna fuck me, baby?”

Kade moaned. Fuck him Ram was going to kill him.

“Do it,” Ram dared.

Kade nodded as much as he could with his hair in a tight hold and snapped his hips. While he would always prefer to be the one being fucked he would always adore Ram for what he was giving him.

“Yes!” Ram shouted his whole body bowing as Kade pounded his prostate, and came all over his chest.

“Shit, shit, shit…” Kade groaned as he came hard, his body wracked with aftershocks as he tried to get closer to Ram for cuddles.

Ram groaned as he stretched his legs all the way out. He’d be sore as fuck later but it was totally worth it.

“Are you okay?” Kade mumbled into Ram’s neck. He was fucking boneless, sprawled across his Daddy’s sweaty chest unable to move.

Ram huffed out a breathless laugh. “Yeah, baby. I’m good.” He eased Kade down by rubbing his back soothingly, hoping he could get him to fall back asleep. Once Kade had fallen back asleep he was able to shift him to the side, freezing when Kade whined when his soft dick slid out of Ram before he smacked his lips and settled into the bed. Ram grunted as he did the wide legged walk to the bathroom to clean up and get a warm cloth for Kade. After he cleaned Kade up he sent Doc a text telling him Kade’s vision was gone and he got a response that their problem had been taken care of.

After the wildness of the past month or two, Kade had taken a few more weeks after he’d completely healed to try and process what had happened before he returned to work, and he couldn’t say he was excited to be back. He missed Ram and the easy going days he’d had recently. He guessed it was finally time to take a step back and let someone else run the company. He would have to talk with Ram more about it, to see what he would suggest. He would most likely have Torres take over, but he wanted to ask Saint to join in. The only reason he was the boss was because he’d already started the business before he’d hired his brothers. Taking a step back would be good for him, he was now anxious anytime he was in his office or away from Ram. He was still on edge and without Valk it made him feel like he was lost, without his partner he didn’t know what to do. He’d had no idea how much that giant ball of drool was going to mean to him. He’d been so against getting Valk and now he was terrified to be without him. It was a shock to realize how much he’d relied on his boy. Ram had gently brought up the topic of getting him a new service dog as Valk had to medically retire, and he’d had to sit in the corner with his tablet for an hour and type out ‘I will not yell at Daddy’ until the timer went off. He’d felt really bad and had cried on Ram’s shoulder for a while, until Ram had shown him, very thoroughly, that he wasn’t mad. His ass was still sore from that pounding and he was thinking up new ways to rile Ram up so he would do it again. He’d never expected to love bottoming as much as he did, but Ram never failed to blow his mind. He sighed as he slowly moved to his desk and sat down. Being here without Valk hurt in ways he couldn’t even describe. His big boy had always been a soothing presence in the background of his daily life, now he spent most of his time with Sanem and Kade didn’t want to feel jealous as she was taking care of his baby, but he missed his big guy. The only reason he was in the office today was he needed to put his plan into motion and have a talk with the guys.

“It’s good to see you behind that desk again,” Torres said softly as he knocked on the door.

Kade smiled ruefully at him. “Don’t get used to it, this could all be yours pretty soon.”

Torres’ brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

Kade sighed heavily. “I’m seriously considering stepping down. If I do, I would want you and Saint at the top to guide the others.”

Torres moved closer to Kade and grabbed his shoulder. “Why?”

Kade’s throat clogged. “I’m tired, Vince. I just want to relax and enjoy the rest of the life I have left.”

Torres nodded, leaned down and hugged his friend hard. “I’ll do whatever I can to help, but I do have a request.”

“What?” Kade asked, tired all of the sudden.

“I think you should stay on as the boss and just handle the behind the scenes part of it and leave everything else to us. You enjoy figuring out where we’re supposed to start and I don’t want you just wasting away at home now that you have nothing to do. Ram isn’t retiring is he?”

Kade bristled. “I haven’t asked, and this is my decision Torres, not his.”

“Think about it,” Torres ordered. “You can work from home if you do that.”

Kade nodded. “I see where you’re coming from and I promise I’ll consider it. We have a little get together at the farm tomorrow night. Make sure you’re there.”

Torres nodded. “I will.”

Kade met Ram at The Diner for lunch, still processing what Torres had said and trying to make a list of pros and cons.

“You okay, baby?” Ram wondered when Kade seemed lost in his own little world.

Kade jerked in surprise, having forgotten where he was for a moment. “Yeah, sorry just thinking about something Torres said.”

Ram bared his teeth. He hoped for the man’s sake and his nephew’s that it was something good. “What did he say?”

“He thinks I should stay on as a consultant. Someone who stays behind the scenes and can work from home.” Kade smirked at him. “I’m not sure how I really feel about it. I was prepared to walk away completely and now I’m not so sure.”

“I would never want you to walk away completely from something you built from the ground up, this is your baby. I think that’s a great idea. You’re still involved but you don’t have to be at the office a lot. I think that will really help with your anxiety.”

Kade nodded. “Yeah, I agree with that.”

“When you’re done I have somewhere I want to take you.”

Kade’s brow furrowed at Ram’s emotionless tone. “Okay.” He finished his food pretty quickly and they were off. “Where are we going?”

“To Owen’s,” Ram told him as he pulled out of the parking lot. “I know you’re having a hard time losing Valk as your service dog and I’m in no way trying to replace him, but you need that companionship. Valk will stay with us for however long he has left, but I want you to sit with the puppies and see if any of them bond with you.” They had taken a step back from letting Valk do anything. They still did some training with him initially, but it was heavily modified to work with him missing a leg. Ram had noticed Valk didn’t enjoy the training anymore and had put a stop to it.

Kade had to bite down on his tongue to keep from yelling. He didn’t want another fucking dog.

Ram pulled over and grabbed Kade’s chin in a firm grip. “Kade, do not make me come over there,” he threatened. “I know you don’t want another one, and I understand why. I’m not saying we’re leaving with one today, I'm saying keep an open mind. I hate seeing you fucking struggling and knowing that sometimes I can’t be with you. It would make me feel better knowing you had another line of defense in place,” Ram grumbled.

Kade deflated. He knew Ram was telling the truth and he hated that the man felt that way and was worried about him. “Fine.” Was all he could say. He pulled away from Ram and sat back in his seat.

Ram sighed and looked to the heavens for some kind of sign. Of course he didn’t get one so he rolled his eyes and continued on.

“Hey, Ram, hey Kade. ” Owen greeted them with a warm smile as they got out of the truck.

“Hey, man. How’s it going?” Ram asked, hugging the man tightly.

“Pretty good. Savage and Carnage are in the back playing with the puppies,” Owen said through his laughter as they watched the two brother’s fumble with the puppies.

Ram nodded and urged Kade in the right direction. “Come on, your brothers are here.” He led Kade to the back. “Hey guys,” he shouted.

“Hey Ram. Hey Kade.” Savage greeted happily while Carnage grunted.

Kade stumbled over a hole in the ground and his arms shot out to catch himself, but he didn’t have to worry as Ram steadied him. He looked towards Ram. “Is there a hole in the ground or am I just dizzy?”

“Hole in the ground,” Ram assured him, helping him over to the grassy area to sit down so he could play with the puppies.

Carnage handed Savage the puppy he was holding as he moved closer to Kade, his brows furrowed. He gently tapped Kade’s cheek then lifted his chin so he could take a closer look at his eyes.

Kade patted his brother’s hand. “It’s fine, Carnage. It was going to happen whether I liked it or not.”

Carnage gently brushed his thumb over the burn marks under Kade’s eyes as anger made his chest tight.

Kade hugged his brother. “I’m okay, because of you I became strong enough to handle anything,” he whispered in Carnage’s ear. “Thank you so much for being my champion.”