Page 12 of Death By Chocolate

Rhys angles his head up in confusion, hands still on his knees. “What, asshole?”

Xeno doesn’t look at him. No, his whiskey-brown eyes lock on mine like this man’s fate rests in my palms. I suppose it does.“For her, I’ll dig graves and drop the bodies. Trust and believe. If I have to repeat myself, there will be consequences.”

The way his eyes divert to my breasts has me sucking in a breath. Damn, he’s directing his threat to me and my protection detail. I need to handle this dick swinging in privacy.

“Go,” I say to Rhys. “I got him.”

Rhys hesitates a second too long. Xeno curls both hands into tight fists. I give a barely perceptible nod of dismissal. Even wounded, I’m still da’bitch in charge. That has Rhys moving away, his steps hastening. The door closes behind him with a soft click.

Xeno approaches my bed. His expression softens, but I can still see the storm brewing in his eyes. Lowering the safety rail, he doesn’t ask permission. Instead, he sits on my bed, his eyes roving over me, cataloging every visible injury. "How bad is it?" he demands as if he has every right to share in my pain.

I stare up at him. “You just going to brush off that shit you just pulled?”

He pushes a stray curl away from my cheek. They removed my straight-cut wig, so my shoulder-length ringlets must be a tangled mess. “He shouldn’t have touched you.”

“Not your business.” I swallow as he traces one knuckle along my jaw. He leans into me, brushing his shoulder against my uninjured side. There are dark circles under his eyes and stubble growing from his chin. He’s showered, but he looks exhausted. I inhale his earthy sandalwood scent, welcoming the warmth in these four walls with hoses, knobs, and bagged masks. I never paid attention to the white walls before. For reasons I dare not think on, it’s a relief to see and feel another body beside me. But why am I allowing him such liberties? Why can’t I push him away like I’ve done with the others?

“Answer my question, Dani.”

The way he says my name has a drugging effect. My eyes drift lower, settling on his mouth. Would he taste as delicious as he smells?

"I've had worse," I reply with a shrug, then wince as the movement pulls at my stitches. "I wouldn't recommend getting shot as a hobby."

"Do you remember what happened?” he asks gently, though his body is tense.

I close my eyes, flashes of memory assaulting me. The airport terminal, the sea of terrified faces, men surrounding us. And then, the glint of metal, a face I recognize with a jolt of fear. I'd reacted on instinct, throwing myself in front of Xeno as the shot rang out.

"I remember," I say softly, opening my eyes to meet Xeno's intense gaze. "I did my job.”

A ghost of a smile flickers across Xeno’s face before disappearing. "Your job," he says, his voice tight with emotion, "was not to take a bullet for me."

I look at him, unflinching. "My job is to keep you alive, by any means necessary. You’re safe. End of story."

Xeno’s nostrils flare, his eyes flashing with a mix of anger and something darker, more possessive. "And who keeps you alive, ma cherie? Did you stop to think about that?"

"I'm still breathing, aren't I?" I counter, a challenging edge to my voice.

“This time,” Xeno growls. He leans in closer, his presence filling my senses. "I won't allow this to happen again. You're off duty until you're fully recovered."

I bark out a laugh, ignoring the twinge of pain it causes. "Nice try, Voss. But you don't get to make that call. I'll be back on duty when I'm cleared by medical. Not you.”

“Fuck that,” Xeno snaps. “You’re my bodyguard. I say when.”

I bristle. Who the fuck put him in charge of me?” “You’re reassigned, effective immediately.”

“It's you or no one,” he states, still stroking my face.

“Stop that shit,” I pull back, the spell broken.

“You better heal quickly," he says, his tone brooking no argument. "Because until you're one hundred, I'm not leaving you.”

I narrow my eyes at him. "Don't be stupid. You need protection, especially now."

“I need protection—,” he stops abruptly. “Fuck woman, when I saw your blood…I thought..." He trails off, unable to voice the fear that had gripped him in that moment.

I feel a flutter in my chest that has nothing to do with my injury. The raw emotion in Xeno’s voice, the way his eyes seem to drink me in, stirs something within me that I'd long thought dead. But I push the feeling aside, burying it deep. I can't afford such complications, not in my line of work, and certainly not with a client.

I open my mouth to argue, but Xeno cuts me off. "Save the shit for the pile, Dani. We can fight after you're better, and then we can fuck until we both forget how shitty yesterday was. Until then, we stay together. We’ll kill them before they try to kill us.”

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