Chapter 21

“Shit! Sorry, Tim. I—”

“It’s the past.” Tim interrupted the apology because he hated talking about his family. “The Vigilant Warriors took me in and put me through college, my master’s, and PhD. I settled the old debts, as well.”

Ian did not utter another word, proceeding to eat in silence instead. He eyed his lover worriedly. He knew the moment Tim graduated from college many years ago, his lover had gone on a personal mission to hunt down his family’s killers to avenge their deaths. Regardless of how long ago it had occurred, it would always be a sore topic for Tim.

“Hey, Ian, where do you work out?” he asked, trying to break the awkward silence.

“There’s a gym nearby. Why?”

“Tim here is a gym fanatic. I only go three times a week. Maybe the two of you can work out together,” he suggested.

“Where at?”

“Tim can bring you into the gym that belongs to our organization. What do you say, Tim?”

“Fine,” Tim replied curtly while Ian agreed with a slight nod.