Chapter 36: Breadcrumbs
Kaine emerged from the bathroom wearing nothing but his shorts and a towel draped around his shoulders.
The hot water had washed away the blood and grime, but it couldn’t clean the weight of what he was about to tell Gwen.
She was waiting in the living room, a plate of sliced apples on the coffee table between two cups of tea.
Her eyes moved to his chest as he sat down, and he caught her looking. She’d never seen him without a shirt before—back when they worked together, he’d always been fully suited up in tactical gear or civilian clothes.
"You’ve been hitting the gym," she said, trying to keep her voice casual.
Kaine glanced down at himself. The supernatural transformation had changed more than just his abilities. His muscle definition was sharper now, his frame more powerful than it had been during his Shadow Guard days. He’d always been in good shape, but this was different.
"Something like that."
Gwen settled into the opposite end of the couch, tucking her legs under her. "So. The whole story."
Kaine picked up an apple slice, more for something to do with his hands than from hunger. "You remember that mission some months ago? The one where my team went dark?"
"The desert district. You were investigating reports of unusual vampire activity."
"Right. Except it wasn’t unusual vampire activity. It was a trap." He set the apple down, untouched. "We went in expecting maybe a nest of thirds or fourths. Instead, we found a fucking convention."