Chapter 28
Callum
Mornin’ light filtered in through the blackout curtains, soft and barely there, but enough to tug me outta sleep.
The bed was warm, her weight still curled against me, and for a second I considered just stayin’ there.
But old habits didn’t die easy—not when watchin’ your back had been your job long before it was a survival instinct.
I sneaked out from under the covers, careful not to wake her, and padded down the short hallway to the living room. The safehouse was still, silent except for the hum of the fridge and the low murmur of the security system.
And there he was—Kieran. Fast asleep on the couch, one leg bandaged and propped up, the other draped over the armrest like he’d collapsed mid-mission.
Poor lad looked half-dead yesterday. Still, he hadn’t tried to leave, and not just ‘cause of the security measures I’d rigged up—trip sensors, coded locks, heat signatures.
Nah, he chose to stay. That meant somethin’.
Satisfied, I wandered back to the bedroom, heart feelin’ lighter than it had in weeks.
Seraphina was still curled in the sheets, a messy halo of hair on the pillow and that soft line between her brows like she was tryin’ to solve a puzzle in her dreams. I climbed back in beside her, slippin’ my arm around her waist as I placed a gentle kiss to the top of her nose.
My stubble brushed her skin, makin’ her scrunch up her face in protest.
I chuckled. “Good mornin’, Mo shíorghra .”
Her eyes opened slowly, the kind of lazy blink that made me forget there was a war brewin’ outside these walls. But then—jolt.
“Kieran?” she asked, sudden like a spark to kindling.
“He’s still here, asleep,” I said, pressin’ another kiss to her cheek. “Didn’t even twitch at the sensors. Either he trusts us… or he’s smarter than I gave him credit for.”
She relaxed back into the mattress with a breath. I traced her hip under the blanket, just enjoyin’ the feel of her.
“Can I run a plan by ya for today?” I asked.
She gave me a sleepy nod, one hand slidin’ up my chest like she was claimin’ her territory.
“You’re gonna head to Blackdawn HQ, keep things lookin’ normal. Meanwhile, I’ll take Kieran to Chicago—quiet, fast, in and out. He said the info’s hidden where only he can get to it. We’ll be back before your day’s even halfway done.”
She pouted, full bottom lip pushin’ out like a child denied dessert. “That’s no fair! I wanna go!” she whined, her voice pitchin’ up playfully.
I laughed low in my throat, pullin’ her closer.
“Ah, a ghrá , someone’s gotta play the part on the inside.
And you’re better at diggin’ than me. While you’re there, try to find out anything else, yeah?
Not about Kieran—we’ve got the source now—but who was assigned to him.
What division flagged him, who signed off on it. ”
Her frown faded into a slow grin, sharp and clever. “Deal,” she said, eyes glitterin’.
Then she bit her lip. “You think we have time for a quickie?”
I groaned, head fallin’ back against the pillow. “Feck’s sake, woman… you better be quiet. Don’t wanna scare the poor lad off so soon.”
She laughed—light and warm and bloody addictive. And yeah, we made it quick.
A short while later, I stood at the stove, tossin’ eggs in a pan while the kettle hissed on the burner. Kieran stirred on the couch as the smell filled the air, his face tight with pain but eyes clearin’ as he blinked up at me.
“Mornin’, lad,” I said, settin’ a plate on the table. “Eat up. We’re headin’ to Chicago today.”
He blinked again, wary, then nodded. “Alright. Guess we better get this over with.”
“Aye,” I said. “The sooner we get that drive, the sooner you stop bein’ a target.”
Seraphina stepped out from the hallway, dressed and pulled together, but there was still that softness in her gaze when she looked at me.
Before she left, she turned to Kieran. “Thank you for trusting us. We hope to make it worth your time.”
Then her eyes met mine—smilin’, steady. “I’ll see you later.”
“You will,” I promised, my voice quiet.
She closed the door behind her, and I turned back to Kieran, who’d already started devourin’ the eggs like he hadn’t eaten in days.
“C’mon then,” I said, grabbin’ my gear. “Let’s get movin’. We’ve got a city to raid.”
We rolled into Chicago just past noon, the city buzzin’ with its usual chaos—horns blarin’, people shoutin’ into phones, the whole place breathin’ like a restless animal.
I kept one hand on the wheel, the other restin’ loosely on the gearshift.
Kieran sat beside me, eyes flickin’ between the street signs and the GPS like he still didn’t fully trust either.
“Take a right at the next light,” he said, voice quiet but sure.
I did, glancin’ sideways at him. He was different today—still wary, sure, but there was purpose behind it. He had somethin’ he wanted us to see, and he’d stayed the night without boltin’. That earned him a bit more credit in my book.
Finally, we pulled up to the spot he’d been leadin’ us to.
I looked out the windshield and raised a brow. “A park?” I asked, smirkin’ as I cut the engine. “You’re a smart lad, aren’t ya?”
Kieran gave a small shrug, but I didn’t miss the flicker of pride behind his eyes.
We got out, the autumn air crisp against my skin as we strode down the concrete path windin’ through the park.
Kids were runnin’ everywhere—squealin’, laughin’, climbin’ the monkey bars like tiny feral soldiers on a mission.
It was the kind of place that made your heart ache a little, wonderin’ if the world still had good in it.
I kept my eyes peeled, not just for threats—but for anyone lingerin’ too long, starin’ too hard. No one here’d be gettin’ the chance to put a child in harm’s way. I’d skin them alive if they tried.
We moved with purpose, followin’ Kieran as he led us to what looked like an ordinary feckin’ bench. Metal slats, bit of rust along the edge, gum stuck underneath like a rite of passage. But Kieran bent down, runnin’ his hand slow up one of the legs—like he was coaxin’ a secret outta steel.
Then he stopped.
His fingers pinched at somethin’, and sure enough, he pulled out a slim drive no bigger than a lighter. Matte black, probably heat-resistant, and magnetized to the inner seam of the bench leg.
“Resourceful little bastard,” I muttered, half impressed.
He handed it to me without a word, and we turned back toward the car.
I stayed sharp, eyes bouncin’ from tree lines to passerby to parked cars. No one looked suspicious, but that never meant much. Danger liked to wear familiar faces. Still, we made it back without incident.
The moment we were in the car, I plugged my phone into the dash and hit the comm line.
Reaper answered on the second ring, his voice dry as sandpaper. “What now?”
“We’ve got a backup drive I need you to look into,” I said, not wastin’ time.
“Backup drive from where?”
“We found the kid—Kieran,” I glanced over at him briefly, “and he says this thing’s loaded with info. Might be connected to Facility E.”
Reaper let out a sharp exhale. “So you’re sayin’ it’s the kind of drive that’ll make me puke, cry, or burn my laptop?”
“Probably all three,” I said flatly. “I need you to organize it into a report. Everything. Clean, fast.”
“You’ve got me doin’ fuckin’ clerical work now, Callum?” he barked a laugh. “Next thing you’ll have me typin’ memos and color-coding files.”
I smirked. “Drop it off, and I’ll owe ya.”
He sighed. “Fine. I’ll have it done by the end of the workday. But you’re buyin’ the whiskey next time we meet.”
“Deal.”
We dropped the drive off at Reaper’s location, didn’t stay long. The man worked better alone, and I knew better than to hover over him while he dug through digital nightmares.
By late afternoon, we were back at the safehouse. Kieran limped in ahead of me, settlin’ onto the couch like he hadn’t moved in years.
I set my keys down, leaned against the wall with arms crossed. “Alright, lad. We’ve got the drive now, and Reaper’ll squeeze it for all it’s worth. But I want the truth straight from your mouth too.”
Kieran looked up, brows drawn, cautious .
“Not interrogatin’ ya,” I added. “Just want to know who the hell you are, Kieran. What made you bolt from Blackdawn? Why’d they want you gone in the first place? And why trust us now?”
He was quiet for a long moment.
Then finally—he started talkin’.