Page 53 of Ignite

A nurse enters the circular ring of couches. “Are you Jacob’s grandson?”

Jakey scoffs at her. “Told you he’s my boy. How old do you think I am?”

I don’t correct him. Jakeyisold enough to be my grandpa, but I quickly learned never to correct him. It only serves to make him distraught.

The nurse gives him a warm smile. “So sorry, I’ll do better to remember next time.”

She holds out her hand to me, and I shake it. “I’m Isabel.”

“Ezra,” I say, feeling weak all over in the best way possible.

She looks at Cain, eyes going a bit wide. Yeah, he’s a lot to take in. If his impeccable taste in clothing wasn’t a sign of his elite position in life, the icy expression on his unholy beautiful face was.

“Cain Vincent.” He offers his hand, which she clutches a little too long.

“Well, Ezra and Cain, I’m so glad you stopped by. Jakey’s charmed us all with his elaborate stories. You’re welcome to stay for lunch if you’d like.”

We end up sharing a table with five other residents in a formal dining room. When the guy sitting at Cain’s other side learns about his service in the military, they start swapping stories.

While I’m doing my best to shower Jakey with my attention, I can’t help but tune into pieces of Cain’s conversation, rattled by the different layers and experiences of humans in this world. It makes my heart ache.

Then there’s that barb of sadness again over the fact that Jakey doesn’t need me in his life. I mean, I’m happy. So fucking happy he’s here. But I can’t lie and say I’m not heartbroken over what feels like the loss of the only constant in my life. The only soul that has ever cared for me.

A hand squeezes my knee under the table. My eyes dart to Cain as he leans in, his breath warm against my ear. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” I nod furiously. “Maybe. Probably not. Let’s not stay for dessert.”

Cain’s eyes circuit my face in assessment. He gives me a tight nod.

After our plates are cleared, I wrap my arms around the back of Jakey in his chair. “I’ll be back to see you soon. I promise.”

Tears burn in my eyes, and I know I’m at my limit for the day, overloaded with mixed emotions.

Jakey pats a hand over mine. “Love you, Ezra. My precious boy. I’ll be counting down the time until I get to see you again.”

Shit. This old man is my Achilles heel, I swear it.

Back outside, I suck a big gulp of icy winter air into my lungs. I revel in the chill that spreads through me.

Cain moves in front of me, close enough to reach out and touch. “What do you need, Ezra?”

I keep my fingers from seeking out safety pins. “I’ll be okay. Need to hit the gym when we get home.”

Home. My throat tightens.

Cain doesn’t seem to notice. His body is turned away from me now as he watches a platinum blonde woman—the one I saw in the elevator the day I snuck into Sinro—striding toward us from the parked SUV that followed us.

“Hello, Cain,” she acknowledges, then turns her attention to me. She radiates a kindness that soothes my prickling jealousy over whatever relationship she has with Cain. “Ezra. I’ve heard quite a bit about you.”

“Good things, I hope,” I say with a lopsided grin.

“Salem leads my extraction team,” Cain explains. “She helps get victims out. She works with our contacts to get them into protection programs and placed in safe homes.”

My eyes go wide, and Salem gives me a warm smile. “I’ve been checking up on your friend. He’s an absolute joy, Ezra.”

“I know. He’s pretty great, isn’t he?”

“Anytime you need some company that isn’t so murderous, feel free to give me a ring.” She leaves us, greeting the rocking chair patrol squad by names.