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Den of Jackals

The two men standing in the doorway were complete opposites. An elegantly dressed man, exuding an air of superiority; a roughly dressed man, embodying degeneracy. Both men shared a look of contempt for the woman. Nicholas and Togo—two men Chase never imagined he'd see together.

A third man, one of Togo's thugs, walked in and took Chase from the woman. The man firmly held the boy's hands behind his back in such a way that Chase risked breaking them if he made any sudden moves.

In the living room,the two men sat opposite each other as they engaged in heated conversation. Nicholas and Togo both wanted Chase; he wanted to be nowhere near either of them. An angry Togo stated he would get revenge for his brother and make Chase a reminder for snitching to the rest of the community. But Nicholas defended the boy, saying Chase wasn't the snitch and that he was worth more alive.

"This kid robs my brother and disappears right before he gets arrested. I don't see no other explanation."

Nicholas tossed a report on the coffee table. "There's your snitch."

Togo casually flipped through the report, then tossed it back on the table. "That kid owes me money."

"I thought you wanted revenge for your brother." Nicholas chuckled.

"I ain't my brother's keeper. You said he had money. She couldn't get it out of him."

"I said he had worth." Nicholas corrected.

Togo pulled out his phone. "Shake them!" He turned back to Nicholas, annoyed. "This worth better turn to money fast."

"I can make it profitable for you if you leave him to me."

The two men negotiated exchanges of drugs and money. Togo, determined to make as much as he could from Nicholas, demanded more money than he was offered, citing his significant loss of customers. Nicholas warned the dealer not to be greedy because his new customers would pay beyond the street rate for his product. Finally, after an hour, the men came to an agreement, and Togo and his thugs left, leaving Chase and the woman alone with Nicholas.

Nicholas smirked at the boy. "Hello Adam. Let's go meet Aurora."

Nicholas and the duo pulled up to the Jordahl's home two hours later. Throughout the trip, the man often laughed and snickered to himself. As they waited at the Jordahl's gate, he beamed with pride. Chase cursed himself; he had messed up. He never should have returned to L.A. Nicholas wouldn't have caught him and be threatening the couple now.

Chase prayed that the door would go unanswered and that Aurora and Logan were still in Puerto Rico. Then he could find a way to escape. The boy's hopes were shattered when Logan answered the comm. A sick, clammy feeling washed over the boy as the vehicle crawled up the driveway.

Aurora had looked so terrified after getting a letter from her father. Coming back here, he ruined her plans. How did Nicholas find him? That question came back again. He still had no answers. But it seemed that woman had known him for a while since he was the one who gave her the house. Chase glared at the pair's reflections in the window. One day, he would make them pay.

Logan opened the door to his unwanted and unexpected guests. To his surprise, Adam was with the man and a woman. Adam was bruised and skinnier than when he first arrived at their home. The boy also looked exhausted and sad.

Logan stared at the boy, awe-struck. When he found his voice, he uttered a single word: "Son."

Logan's expression invigorated Chase. He fought the woman's hold on him and broke free. Logan scooped the boy into his arms and kissed him.

"Adam. My son." Logan kissed the boy repeatedly.

Chase looked up at Logan, his face wet with tears. "Dad."

"Everything will be okay. I won't let you go again." Logan promised, holding back his own tears.

"Really entertaining, don't you think?" Nicholas said mockingly to the woman next to him. "We should all sit down and chat. Where's Aurora?"

Logan glared at the pair in front of him. "She's not here."

Nicholas laughed, his voice tinged with malice. "Fine." He turned on his heels and left, the woman scrambling after him, confused.

Logan pressed his forehead against Chase's and exhaled happily. "Welcome home, son."

The boy's father gently touched the bruises on his face and arms. "Did he do this to you?" He inquired.

The boy shook his head in denial.

"You're so thin." Logan remarked, circling the boy's wrist. "Are you hungry?"

"Starved."

"Imran!" Logan called at the top of his lungs.

When the elder man appeared, Logan requested the fastest dish he could put together for the boy. The chef returned with a bowl of soup and a bread roll, both hot and fresh from the fire. The boy ate ravenously, explaining to his father and Sophia the events after they separated. The soup and roll disolved into thin air, yet he was still hungry. His request for a second serving was stopped by Sophia.

"You haven't eaten in days. If you gorge now, you'll be sick." She warned.

Finally able to relax, exhaustion assaulted Chase. His vision blurred and faded to black. He remembered large, warm hands holding him before he lost consciousness.