Devil's Gambit

Chapter 33

When he felt they had made a good distance, Lucas settled down onto the dirt with Harley, pulling him onto his lap and cradling the crying man's head against his chest. Lucas wrapped his arms tightly around his boyfriend, burying his face into his hair as he wept his own tears.

Lucas' mind was reeling, and he could barely process that Axel was even gone. It felt as though the man had simply gone to the store, or met with their distributor, and would be back just in time for dinner.

Axel was the leader of the house, and Axel was always the kind of person to be capable of filling that role, ever since they met. Lucas could never dream of being in that position, and although Daniel and Elijah were in the house before him and Axel, even they were quick to step back and allow Axel to step up. He just always had that commanding aura about him, and never appeared to need a moment to strategize or think. Axel knew what they needed to do to reach a goal, what steps they needed to take, and who would receive which task to accomplish that.

Now, that was all on Lucas.

He now had to fill Axel's shoes, and while that was a big role to take on- Lucas would do it.

Because he needed to be strong for Harley and Jackie.

Lucas was given a true purpose for the first time in his life, and he vowed to take care of them until his own demise. Axel used his dying breath to make this request of Lucas, and he would always honor that as his top priority.

Taking a deep breath, Lucas collected himself as he removed his face from Harley's hair, tilting his head down to press a kiss against the side of the other man's forehead.

"I'm here, Harley. I'm here," he whispered, bringing his hand to the back of his boyfriend's head to gently comb his long fingers through the soft, ashy brown hair. Harley simply continued to sob, his hiccuping breaths barely allowing him to inhale, and Lucas was determined to sit there in the yard for as long as he needed.

"Lucas?" Daniel called out nervously from the back door, and Lucas picked his head up, staring at the rose bushes in front of him Harley had planted to conceal the chain link fence that encompassed their backyard. Turning his head slightly to peer over his shoulder at Daniel, he knew he looked like a complete wreck to the younger man with his reddened eyes and disheveled black hair, but the version of him that used to be concerned about that had died right alongside Axel.

He didn't want to pretend not to care anymore.

Lucas cared a whole fucking lot, and the world should know it. He was tired, so tired, of maintaining this wall made of crumbling brick and broken glass and cold words to keep everyone at a distance. He thought he could never get hurt if he acted like nothing bothered him, but what good did that accomplish when the harsh pain he was feeling now still managed to reach him. In the end, it didn't matter what he did to guard his heart.

It shattered all the same.

"Get a sheet," he ordered softly, meeting Daniel's deer in the headlights look before his gaze shifted slowly over to where Axel lay. Daniel immediately understood what Lucas was asking, and slipped back inside to retrieve the covering.

When Daniel came back, it was unfortunately with Jackie in tow, who was rapidly firing questions at him in search of answers.

"I heard gunshots and didn't want to get off the floor until someone could tell me everything was alright, but if you're walking around, everything should be fine now, right? Daniel, please give me something to work off of here," Jackie demanded as Daniel shouldered his way through the back door, but he stopped to block her way, shaking his head desperately.