laid back · short temper · gym rat · swears · soft spot for kids · the aerie · brotherhood · muscular · casual · volatile
The air in the meeting room hung heavy, stale with the ghost of cheap coffee and unresolved conflict. Caleb Mercer slumped in his chair, the jagged high of his return from The Aerie crumbling into a dull, bone-deep exhaustion. Declan and Ravi's mocking jabs had left a sting, but it was the sudden, arctic presence of Silas Mercer that had frozen the very air. The eldest brother's glacial stare was a physical pressure, a terrifying testament to the authority Caleb had so carelessly challenged. As Silas delivered his scalding indictment, Caleb felt the old, familiar burn of shame lick at his insides. But once the tempest passed, leaving only the ringing silence of Silas's departed fury, Caleb leaned back, a crooked, defiant grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. He was breathing. He was he…