Page 41 of Dagger

Anything to drown out Dagger’s voice in her head, that whispered confession still burning in her blood.

David sipped his coffee, his eyes drifting lazily over the mess hall. “Our first day in paradise,” he quipped. “Could be worse. At least there’s good coffee.”

She envied how easily he floated through the tension. No knots in his gut. No war raging in his chest. He frowned suddenly. “But they always roll out the good stuff for those over-glorified water boys.”

Of course. SEAL jab.

“I get it,” she said quietly. “But Dagger and his team are good men. You can think what you want. Just keep it to yourself around me.”

She heard the edge in her voice. Felt it. The defense of them had come out fast and it was true. That shook her.

David’s face tightened, then eased. “Fair enough. Grudges won’t help anyone. Too much at stake.”

She nodded, her heartbeat loud in her ears. Especially after what she’d said. After last night. After everything.

“You okay?” he asked. “You’re pale.”

“I’m fine,” she lied, clutching the cup tighter.Fine, if she ignored the wildfire still smoldering inside her. The memory of Dagger’s mouth. His hands. That kiss that had undone her in ways she hadn’t known were still possible.

David reached for sugar. “Let me know if you need anything. My detail’s here for you.”

“I will.” But doubt clung to her skin. After the way Dagger’s team had exposed the cracks in Aegis, she wasn’t sure what protection even meant anymore.

He dropped the subject, turning to his phone. She exhaled. Relief and unease curled together in her chest like smoke.

Outside, Caracas bristled with tension. Butshe—she was the real war zone.

Damn him, she thought.For seeing me. For knowing how to undo every knot I’ve twisted myself into.

Because if she let go of the resentment, if she admitted that Brian’s death wasn’t Dagger’s fault, she’d have to face somethingworse. That her marriage hadn’t been perfect. That maybe, deep down, she’d known it.

Brian had loved her with patience. She’d cherished that. But never, not once, had her head spun like it had from Dagger’s kiss. That kiss had carved through her, brutal and tender all at once. He’d seen every crack she tried to hide…and kissed her like he wanted them all.

That terrified her. Because it felt like the truth.

Later,she told herself.Not now.She needed a clear head today, not a breakdown in the mess hall.

David briefed her on security threats. She nodded where appropriate, sipping coffee that tasted like survival.

“Let’s grab some breakfast,” he said, standing. “Then we head out. Tight schedule today.”

Quinn followed, chin high, her mind buzzing. Dagger’s voice still hummed in her bones.

I want you… I want you… I want you.

She scanned the room. Hoping. Dreading.

Then, there he was. Dagger. Striding in like he hadn’t torched her entire world the night before. Like his mouth hadn’t left her breathless and burning.

The air thickened. Her breath stuttered. That rough whisper played on a loop in her head.

I love your impulses… especially this one.

He threatened everything she thought she knew. That Brian’s death wasn’t Dagger’s fault. That losing her boys had been her consequence, not his. That she’d turned away from the one man who hadn’t tried to contain her but hadseenher. Encouraged her. Wanted her.

She wasn’t ready to face him.

But God help her, she still wanted him near.

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