Page 106 of Emerald

“Because of what happened last time.”

“Elena isn’t your enemy, she’s not trying to kill you,” he says quietly.

“Yet, is what you’re thinking.”

Brooks lets out a deep breath. “She is a highly trained weapon.”

“You don’t think she can control herself? Are you saying if I piss her off, she’s going to off me?”

“No,” he answers before running his hand over his shaved head. “I’m just saying it’s complicated. Look, I don’t fucking know, it’s your life, I want to see you happy and if she makes you happy then I’m all for it.”

“Except you have reservations.”

“I would over any woman you date,” he states. “She just has a lot more baggage than other women.”

“Don’t you think I know that. But you brought me into this. You blew my world up, it’s a little too late now to try to tell me to be careful,” I tell him.

“You know I’m sorry about that.”

“It was the mission, I get it. And I one hundred percent would have still done it. You can’t be upset because I found something great in the chaos and that I am willing to give up the life I created here to pursue it.”

“Fuck, man, you’re all in on her,” he says softly.

“I am. And I know she feels the same.”

Brooks nods. “I’m happy for you. Does that mean you’re saying yes to the job?”

“Yes.” I smirk at him.

Brooks grins and pulls me into a headlock. “We’re going to have so much fun hunting down bad guys.”

38

ELENA

“Brooks is lecturing Nash about me, isn’t he?” I ask Sophie.

“Yeah, he probably is.” She smirks as we walk inside.

“You want a drink? Water? Soda?” I ask her.

She nods. “Water is fine thanks. This place is nice. You’d have no idea from the outside, this is what is hidden behind it. No wonder you’ve been having fun,” she teases.

I grab her a bottle of water from the fridge and one for myself, too. “Go on, say it.”

“I’m surprised.” She smiles, taking the bottle of water from me.

“Me too,” I chuckle, “it kind of just happened.”

“He’s a good guy, I get it,” she says before taking a sip of water. “Do you have feelings for him?” I can see the grimace on her face.

“Are we becoming sisters with all this boy talk?” I tease her. Sophie flips me off which makes me laugh. “Yes, I like him. I wasn’t expecting it, but I do. Never expected a man would want me for me not for what they can get from me.”

“You deserve a normal life. And if you think Nash can give you that then I’m all for it,” she says.

Wow, wasn’t expecting that. “Thanks.”

“Don’t be so skeptical. Look, I know we had a rough start because you broke Grace’s heart by making her believe Max was dead, but I get why you did it. Because the alternative was, he could have really been dead. I was being a protective sister. We were so close to losing her to her grief.” I can see Sophie struggling to hide her emotions. She truly was worried about her sister.

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