Page 101 of Retaliation

“I’ve had night terrors since I could remember,” she shrugged. “I don’t think anyone who lives the lives we do doesn’t have them.”

Scorpion turned on his back with his hands behind his head, seeming to contemplate her words.

“And the panic attack you had the other night? Have you had another one?”

Resting her chin on her cast, she took a deep breath, fighting the urge to close off, to shut down, build her walls, and shut him out. She knew she didn’t have to be so strong and unmovable in front of him, but shaking thirty years of coping mechanisms wasn’t easy.

Forcing herself, she nodded. “I had one the night of the Lotus Lounge, but for the most part, I have them under control.”

“You said they started when you got bad news?”

She took another deep breath, forcing herself to break down the barrier between herself and the rest of the world.

“They returned when Reaper did,” she finally answered.

Seeming to accept the answer for what it was, he turned on his side again and gave her a warm smile.

“You need me to bring you some pain meds?”

She shook her head. “No, thank you. I barely have any pain anymore. You should get some more sleep,” she glanced at the clock beside the bed. “It’s not even three in the morning, and you should probably get to work in a bit.”

As she ushered the words, she realized she didn’t know exactly what he did.

“What do you do?” she asked. “Or is being first lieutenant to the Japanese Mafia boss your only job?”

He let out a surprised low rumble of a laugh that hit her right in the heart.

“Should have known you figured it out by now,” He started tracing circles on her thigh again, sending goosebumps down her legs. “But yeah, the boss keeps us fairly busy and pays well.”

She opened her mouth to ask a question, but he cut her off as if reading her mind.

“No, I don’t have to work in the morning. I’m all yours for the day.” He leaned in and kissed her arm, just above her elbow, activating that swarm of wasps.

“I need to head out. I need to see my crew,” she explained when Scorpion’s brows shot to the sky.

“They can come here,” he suggested. “You’re still recovering.”

Poison’s heart skipped a beat. She had never seen such worry and compassion in any set of eyes focused solely on her.

“Are you sure?” she whispered. “I don’t want to impose. This is your sanctuary.”

“I’d prefer you stay where I can keep an eye on you. You guys can meet downstairs.”

“It will only be Skeldon and Cat,” she promised. “I’ll ask the two of them to come over, and they can talk to the rest for me. They’ve been blowing up my phone the whole weekend.”

“While you’re in my care, the place is yours to do at you, please,” he said, squeezing her thigh.

To distract herself from the heat building between her legs, she moved to get up from the bed, looking back at him over her shoulder.

“I’m going to make coffee. Do you want some?” she asked.

But Scorpion threw back the covers and jumped off the bed next to her, stopping her with his hands on her shoulders. She sucked in a breath as the sight of his rippling abs blocked her vision.

“You stay in bed,” he ordered, carefully pushing her back onto the pillows. “I’ll make us a fresh pot, but you really need to find a caffeine anonymous group. You might be addicted,” he teased, winking at her as he walked to the kitchenette.

“You know I drink coffee for the sake of others, right?” she said to the ceiling.

“How do you reckon?” he called back, and she could hear the water running as he filled the coffee maker.

---