Page 73 of Protect Thy Enemy

I resist the urge to roll my eyes at that too.

And to think Luna used to always say I didn’t know how to put my foot in my mouth. She would be proud to know my foot is safely lodged deep down my throat right now.

“Welcome to the team,” Shaw says, his smirk returning as he steps back into the shadows. “Don’t make me regret it.”

He disappears into the darkness, Cruz silently following him.

The weight of his words lingers, pressing down on me even as the tension in the room eases.

“Well,” I say, breaking the silence as soon as we get to the rental car, “that was fun.”

Grant doesn’t respond, his focus locked on the folder in his hands.

“Don’t forget to thank me later for not saying anything,” I add, unable to resist.

His jaw tightens, and he finally looks at me, his dark eyes colder than ever. “Get in the car, Williams.”

The use of my real name stings more than it should, but I bite back a retort and do as he says.

Whatever just happened, I get the distinct feeling it was only the beginning.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Holden

Her whisper lingers, threading through my mind like a splinter I can’t pull out.

It had been soft, pleading, full of need in a way that made my insides burn like an inferno. I didn’t mean to listen. I didn’t mean to stay. But when she said my name, broken and trembling like a secret she hadn’t meant to confess, something in me froze.

Something in me shifted.

I needed a taste of her like I needed my next breath, but it didn’t matter. Because I couldn’t cross that line. No matter how tempting.

Now, she’s beside me in the car, unaware of how much space she’s already taken up in my head. Her leg bounces slightly, a subtle rhythm that betrays the calm she tries to project.

“You’ve been quiet,” she says, breaking the silence. Her light tone is almost teasing. “Brooding more than usual. If that’s even possible.”

“I’m focused.”

“Focused,” she repeats, dragging the word out like it’s foreign. “On what, exactly? The road? Or whatever’s going on in that head of yours?”

I glance at her, narrowing my eyes. “Do you always talk this much?”

“Only when I’m trying to pass the time,” she shoots back, smirking. “Or wave the white flag.”

That catches me off guard. “White flag?”

“For the mission,” she clarifies, shrugging. “I figured we could call a truce. Temporary, of course. Don’t worry, I’m not asking you to like me or anything.”

My grip tightens on the wheel. “What makes you think I don’t?”

She huffs a laugh, shaking her head. “Grant, please. You glare at me like I ran over your dog in a past life. I’m not an idiot. I know you hate me.”

Hate. The word sits heavy in my chest, sharper than it should be. Have I really been that hard on her? Harris has called me a hard-ass more times than I can count, but hate? That’s not me.

“I don’t hate you,” I say, my voice low but firm.

Her brow furrows, skepticism clear on her face. “Could’ve fooled me.”

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