26 - Primal Urges.

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"Vengeance is in my heart, death in my hand, blood and revenge are hammering in my head."

- William Shakespeare

The safety and protection of my family had always been my primary responsibility

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The safety and protection of my family had always been my primary responsibility. This commitment I held so firmly had shaped every decision I made in life. I was the one to shield them from any harm or danger. But circumstances change and even the firmest resolves get tested.

This was one such instance when the control slipped away from me and I found myself having to rely on another. Ryker was his name, a name that now bore the weight of the responsibility I'd carried for so long.

Trust is a difficult beast to master, especially when it involved the safety of your loved ones.

The moment our car rolled into the driveway, Noah erupted from the front door of the house, bounding towards us with an urgency that was evident on his usually joyful features.

"Did you...? Where are they?" he stuttered, confusion tugging at his voice.

His disappointed eyes sought answers we did not have, reflecting the harsh realization that had started to sink within him.

I stood there, momentarily lost for words, wrestling with my own rising anxiety. He deserved an honest answer, but how could I tell him what I myself dreaded to face?

"Noah! My man! How's it going?" Intuitively picking up on my dilemma, Hector chimed in cheerfully, extending his arm to clasp Noah's shoulder. He effortlessly diffused the tension, swiftly steering Noah back towards the house.

Left standing outside, encased in an overwhelming blanket of fear that gripped me tighter with each passing second. In my mind, I found myself going back to the moment where I had let Layla leave alone. The remorse and guilt seeping through every corner of my conscience, I found it hard to forgive myself.

I walked into the living room and collapsed onto the soft leather couch. My thoughts were consumed by the worst possible scenarios, and I was desperately trying to suppress them.

Sawyer had already gone after Goat, and I was hoping he could provide the assistance we needed.

Just as the silence began creeping up on me again, a warm, deeply reassuring voice floated in from the other side of the room. "Hey. You doing okay?" Hector called out in a gentle tone.

My throat felt raw and my words fell in heavy plops, betraying my anxiousness. "Yeah, I'm trying to keep it together," I mumbled, straightening my slumped posture to provide him room to settle beside me on the couch. "Where is he?"

He glanced at me, his gaze holding a world of reassurances, "He's with Olivia."

A fleeting sense of gratitude surged within me, despite the overwhelming despair. For a moment, I allowed myself to be wrapped in the relief his presence was serving me.

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