C78 THE FATHER WHO NEVER WAS.

AXEL’S POV:

Ryan was there to bitch around.

Typical.

Yes, I trusted him—hell, he was my second in command. But there were lines, boundaries between what I carried alone and what I shared. Some things rotted better inside me. But lately, keeping him in the dark felt less like protection and more like betrayal. If I shut him out again, I wouldn’t just be undermining his position