Page 101 of Secret Mission

I send a smirk back.

Beast:ETA 17:42

Ten minutes from now. Perfect.

Me:Good. I’m ready for bed.

Beast:Bet you are. One of us will have eyes on your place tonight so you two can rest.

I stare at his text.

God. I’m a lucky bastard.

It’s time for me to get my shit straight so I can be the teammate he and the others deserve. Especially after what happened with his girl when she was under my watch.

Me:I owe you.

Beast:You’re right. Now take care of your girl.

My girl. His words echo around inside the chambers of my heart.

Mine.

Something big is happening.

I never thought I’d fall in love again. Never thought I’d let myself. But I can’t make myself walk away.

“Hey,” Allison’s soft voice snaps me back. “You okay?”

The sweetest vision in the world: she’s draped in my T-shirt, her damp hair over one shoulder, a warm smile on her face.

When I don’t reply, she steps toward me. The brush of her fingers against my cheek is achingly soft. “You worried about your brother?”

“No. I’m trying to get my emotions in check. Too close to the surface tonight.”

“Why are you trying to hold them back?” she asks softly.

“Because—”

She cuts me off when I hesitate. “That’s how you try to operate?”

“Yeah,” my voice roughens, “But I’ve failed at that for a long time. I haven’t been good to anyone else because of that.”

She drags her fingers through the wet ringlets hanging on the T-shirt. A little sigh parts her lips. “Will you talk to me?”

“Not tonight.”

“We’re waiting for food, right? Might as well make use of the time. You seem like the weight is heavy on your shoulders tonight. Let me carry some of the load.”

Jesus. No. This is not her load to bear.

“I want a shower.”

Yes, I’m diverting.

“But your bandages?”

I shrug and steeple my fingers as I rest my elbows on my knees. “They’ll stay, or they won’t.”

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