Page 122 of Burn Like An Angel

In the best possible way.

“Unravelling Incendia’s complex criminal web is painstaking work.” Enzo sizes him up. “It may not look like it from the outside, but we’ve been battling these people for years.”

“Are you expecting some kind of praise?” Lennox laughs.

“No. Just a little faith.”

Whispering a curse, Xander tilts his head up to the sky like he’s searching for patience. The analytic in him doesn’t ascribe much to faith. Every move he makes relies on cold, hard logic.

“We will make a move on Incendia Corporation and its assets soon,” Enzo proclaims, his gaze fixed on me. “When we do, your testimonies will join the countless others we’ve helped.”

“To what end?” Xander growls.

“You’ll have the chance to earn your freedom.”

They may not be able to have faith right now, but I can. I don’t have much choice. I’ve got nothing else to give. Pulling Xander’s hand from my arm, I move to Lennox.

His deep-lidded eyes are pinched with tension, watching me approach. “Don’t even start?—”

“Can you give us a moment, Raine?” I speak over him.

Raine releases Lennox’s sleeve, taking a limping step away. “Sure.”

“Thank you.”

I stop in front of Lennox, laying a hand on his broad chest. He paces backwards, putting some distance between usand everyone else. His expression is caught somewhere between apprehension and intrigue.

“Ripley, I’m just?—”

“I can’t run anymore,” I interject. “Not from this. We need to take a stand.”

“I know,” he agrees. “But I need you to be safe.”

Newfound warmth curls around my heart. Not the same warmth that Raine’s honesty and soft affection provoke. Nor the toxic warmth I hold for Xander and all his complexities.

This feeling is different. It’s been there for a while, escaping in brief moments ever since our shared trauma in the Z wing. Even when he’s driving me insane or I’m plotting his death, I still feel it. The inescapable draw.

Lennox brings out the worst in me. I want to taunt him. Punish him. Break his mind the same way he broke mine. Yet I also want to reassure him. Gain his trust. Put the broken pieces in his brain back together.

“Don’t look so surprised.” Lennox smiles wryly. “I’m aware that I fucking suck at… well, this. I’ve never felt the need to fix my mistakes before.”

“Must be nice.”

“It was.” His teeth pierce his bottom lip. “Until you.”

This isn’t the time or place, but honestly, we need to lay it all on the table. We almost died last night with all this unfinished business.

“And now? What do you feel?”

“I’ve been trying to figure that out.” Lennox shifts from foot to foot.

“When we go with these people, I don’t know what’s going to happen. What they’ll demand from us. We have to be able to trust each other… fully.”

Seeing him so uncertain would be funny if it didn’t take us almost dying to get here. I suppose it couldn’t have been anyother way. Only facing pure evil could force us to put our old hatred aside.

“You flipped my entire world upside down in that basement.” He pauses for a breath. “I finally understood your actions. We hurt your family.”

“And you were protecting yours.”

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