Page 21 of Natural-Born Cullers

The height of the perimeter fence and its electrical charge couldn’t hide the weight of the summerhouse as he passed it by, but Gray kept his look ahead.

Yesterday, permission to allow Cal back to their home in Wales hadn’t been his to give. Rheidol Manor had been Ed’s home, his family’s heritage.

But in his will, Ed had left it all to Light.

It should have bitten deep, and for a while, Gray’s run had been hard in order to try and understand why Ed would take his home from underneath his feet. But then how Ed had added that clause to his will a month after Light was born, it hit home with harder echoes on just how Light had looked as he’d held Brin in the ruin of the café bombing, all….

Light repeatedly stroked at Brin’s face. “We’re…” He looked around them. “We’re back home, is all… those Welsh waters. A campfire’s not far on the beach, some steak on the grill, and—”

Light hadn’t been given the chance to know where home lay, not properly. He’d even had to learn to bury his Welsh accent to stay out of Gray’s way. So the offer of Welsh shores had been Ed’s way to offer a voice through the storm for a great-grandson, hoping he’d find his way home eventually, where he knew Gray already held home in his head and heart with no restrictions. There’d been no malice behind Ed’s intent when he’d thought of Light over Gray when it came to ownership of the manor in Wales.

Eventually, Gray would tell Light, hand him the keys, hopefully take the walk there with him, but until Light could face his past, his anger, he wasn’t ready. Gray saw that in Light’s look: the fight against the silence that played around him despite not picking up his violin or drumkit to fill that silence. Ed had given Light their home, but Gray’s consent over when Light was ready to go home stayed in his hands with Ed’s last words trusting him to do just that.

“Boss…” A crackle came through on his headphones and his music was cut a moment later. “Time,” said Ray.

Gray looked at his watch.

6:00 a.m.

He’d been out for an hour, and giving a wipe at his forehead, he cut back through the woods, onto the main road. The gatehouse lights came into view half an hour later, but the gates didn’t start to open.

“Look lively, lads,” said Ray over the comm. “Boss’ll have your balls for biscuits for the tea break you’re having in there.”

“Fuck.” A squeak of chair came in the gatehouse, a whisper of—“Does Ray have CCTV in here?”

A stumble of feet to floor, two pairs of. “Bastard.” A laugh. “Bet your ass he does.”

The gate started to come open, and one of the guards stepped out of the gatehouse, wiping down his shirt. “Fuck. He’s slowing down.” A look came Gray’s way. “Why the fuck is he slowing down, Steve?”

“He is? Fuck. Go get him, George. I’m staying in here.”

Gray gave a sigh. “Stop the ball-torture on your staff, Ray. Tell them I can bloody hear them over your comm.”

A chuckle came. “Nah. If I’m not having a tea break yet, George there ain’t either. So you… just slow it down a bit more there, boss, prolong the agony.”

“Have a word with him if he’s giving you issues.”

“I never said he was giving me issues. It’s his tea break. I want mine, is all. So a little fear his way won’t hurt for putting his feet up.”

Gray shook his head, a smile playing his lips, and he quickened his pace. George tipped his head, face a little flustered, and Gray passed through the gate, giving the man some peace.

“You’re just no fun anymore, sir,” said Ray. “I’m putting a complaint into Jan. And speaking of which, in ten… nine… eight….”

From up ahead, Jan jogged over, breathing heavy, a hand on his hip as he tried to twist into some cramp that had him drawing to a halt.

Gray slowed his pace and went over. “Erm, how’s running going for you there, Abstract? You missing your calculator and lie-in as of late yet?”

Jan laughed softly, then waved in the direction of the gate. “Hey, I made it… made it to the… the—” Out of breath, giving a cough, he waved towards the gate again, and Gray got the general idea.

“Come on. Walk back, shall we?”

Jan blew out his cheeks. “Christ, yes… please. I never said anything to Jack about managing to run back.”

“You want me to bring the car, boss? Maybe call an ambulance?” Ray chuckled through the earpiece. “Air rescue—sea… with how he’s sweating all over the road?”

Jan straightened, eyeing Gray up, more his headphones.

“You know he’s jacked up too, Ray?” Gray bit back a smile. “He heard that.”

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