Blaze (Virtues & Lies 3)

“Cameron and I have it covered,” he tells me with an audible sigh of relief that we’re not going to rehash everything. “Obviously they couldn’t send you, so Francis asked him to step in. I think this is doing him good. Keeping him busy.”

“Yeah.”

“And you have your hands full.” Nodding at Grace, he looks lighter. Like the sight of her has silenced his demons.

Fleur’s words come back to me—he cares because I was his chance at making up for what happened with Arabella, not because he loves me—and I actually believe her. I believe that in a way Grace is a salvation to him. Maybe his time watching over Fleur was his penance. It’s a pity that it cost our friendship.

“Yeah.”

Fleur steps towards him, I sense the debate going on in her head as her hands hover between them. When she steps back into me, I hold my hand at her lower back and urge her forward again.

There’s trepidation in her soft gaze when she looks up at me and then back to Ryan, before giving him a quick hug. “You’ll be careful, won’t you?”

“I’m being assigned to watch the Chief, not sent into war.” As always, he maintains his calm. But it’s obvious from the way he’s looking at her, like he might never see her again, that he knows this is war. “My duty here is done. You’re safe.”

“We are.”

Fleur turns to me, taking Grace before she turns back to him and gives his arm a squeeze.

“You know,” she smirks at him. “You’re still not a god, so don’t go acting like you’re invincible or immortal or whatever gods think they are…”

He chuckles, and she takes a deep breath. Tears line her eyes as she rolls onto her toes and presses a quick kiss to his cheek.

“Thank you for looking after me, soldier.”

“I’d say it was fun, but…”

“Shut up.”

“Make sure you eat.”

Fleur laughs. “Be careful.”

Peering right down at Grace with a nod, he peels back the thin blanket so he can see her face before Fleur heads to the bedroom.

Once she’s far enough away, he says, “Don’t leave her again. She deserves more than that.”

He picks up his duffle, slinging it over his shoulder. Something we’ve done so many times together.

“Watch your back.”

“Yep.”

“Watch Cameron.”

“He’s good.”

“I know, but…” I’m not going to be with them. It feels weird sending them off without me. Like I’m abandoning my team. But then I hear Grace’s cries coming from the bedroom and I realise that it’s not so much the team. It’s him. My mate.

Ryan is family even if I’m still pissed with whatever he feels for Fleur. Real or not, intentional or unintentional, he’s as much family as every other fucker in this place.

My chest tightens while I watch him walk away. But the reality is that it was always going to be like this. Shit happens and you have to carry on. This is the best way to carry on. Going our separate ways.

Chapter 38

CASPER

Fleur sits opposite me on the grass, taking photo after photo on her new phone. I liked her better without it.