Page 65 of Protect Thy Enemy

“Just say the word,” I say softly, standing and heading for the kitchen. “I’ve got your back, Luna. Always and forever, you know this.”

She doesn’t respond, but the tension in her shoulders eases slightly. It’s enough for now.

It has to be.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Arden

“I’m going to miss you so much,” Luna says again, tossing yet another bag of toiletries into the trunk of my beat-up Infiniti.

This is going to take forever to unload and load again into the rental at the office. I sigh, leaning against the car and watching as she fusses over every little thing she’s packed, double-checking and triple-checking like I might starve or forget how to shower without her.

She does this every time I go on a “work trip,” so I’ve learned to let Luna, well… Luna. That’s the literally only way to describe it.

“I’ll be back before you know it,” I say, my voice steady, though the words feel empty. The truth is, I don’t even know how long I’ll be gone.

Harris had been clear during the briefing, this assignment has no definitive end date. We stay undercover until the job is done. Whether that takes weeks or months is anyone’s guess.

Luna stops for a moment, resting her hands on the edge of the trunk as she looks up at me, her brow furrowed. “I hate when you have to go out of town for work,” she says, her voice quieter now, tinged with a sadness that sounds foreign to her usual chirpy tone. “What am I going to do without my emotional support bestie?”

I smile faintly, reaching out to nudge her shoulder. “You’ll survive. Barely, but you’ll survive.”

Her lips twitch into a half smile, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. For all her joking, I know this is hard for her. And after the mess with Tavia a few days ago, it’s hard for me too.

Luna doesn’t like to admit when she’s hurting, and I hate that I’m leaving her now, knowing how shaken she was after that fight. But this is the job, and she knows it as well as I do.

She lets her head rest against my shoulder, and for a moment, it’s like we’re kids again. Back then, I was the one falling apart, a sad little girl too angry to ask for help. Too broken to accept love. Luna was the one who pieced me back together. She always made it seem easy.

But now, looking at her, I see cracks I never noticed before. The fight with Tavia isn’t about me, but I’ve seen the same pattern a hundred times. Luna takes care of everyone else while letting herself fall apart.

“If things get bad,” I say softly, my tone more serious now, “call West. He’ll be here quicker than Papa Joe can change a tire.”

She rolls her eyes, but I catch the flicker of relief in her expression. “I don’t need a babysitter, Arden.”

“No,” I agree. “But having backup never hurts.”

She exhales, her shoulders slumping as she leans against the car beside me. “I hate this.”

I don’t reply. There’s nothing I can say to make it better, so I just rest my hand on her arm for a moment before pushing off the car. “Come on, one last bag. Let’s get this over with.”

When I pull into the lot, the sight of Grant leaning against one of the agency SUVs sends a flicker of irritation through me.

He’s scrolling through his phone, his expression as impassive as ever, but there’s a tension in his posture that confirms he still has the biggest stick known to humankind still up his ass.

Great.

The rest of the team, Tate and Park, are gathered nearby, engaged in conversation. They glance up as I approach, Tate flashing a grin while Park gives me his usual unreadable stare.

“Williams,” Tate calls out as I step out of the car, slamming the door behind me. “You ready to play house?”

“Can’t wait,” I reply dryly, yanking a duffel from the trunk and hoisting it onto my shoulder.

Tate walks over, peering into the trunk and letting out a low whistle. “Jesus, Williams. You moving in or opening a store?”

I narrow my eyes at him. “Some of us like to be prepared.”And some of us have a best friend who packs like a doomsday prepper.

“Prepared for what? The apocalypse?” He leans against the car, grinning like he’s just cracked the world’s funniest joke.

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