Page 127 of Risky Passion

Cody gasped, his jaw dropping in exaggerated mock hurt. “I thought it was my personality.”

Whisper smirked, not missing a beat. “Well, it’s definitely not your sense of humor.”

“Oh, harsh,” he said, clutching his chest like she’d wounded him.

I watched them with quiet amusement. They’d only been together for a couple of weeks, but it was as if they’d known each other forever. Their bond felt effortless, and conversations bounced naturally between them, and they laughed all the time. There was no strain and no awkwardness.

It reminded me of how Jaxson and I had been.

The thought hit me square in the chest, and I couldn’t breathe.

Just how Jaxson and I had been.

Relaxed, natural, utterly in sync.

But was that real?

Or was that a product of our intense, deadly situation?

The question unraveled something in me. How much of what I felt for him was genuine connection, and how much was just adrenaline dressed up as fascination?

What will happen now that the danger is over?

Will Jaxson go back to his life, and I return to my cats, and all my messed-up emotions fade into oblivion?

CHAPTER 30

Jaxson

Onyx satbetween Maya and me in the back seat of Levi’s chopper, her ears pricked forward and her tongue lolling out. She loved being in the air almost as much as she loved sniffing out bodies. Thankfully, this time, the bodies of Blade and Viper had been alive.

Riding shotgun beside Levi was Aria. I’d expected her to look overjoyed, maybe even relieved, after we’d pulled her teammates out of that mangled warehouse. But the tension in her shoulders and the shadow in her eyes told a different story.

Something was eating at her. Something dark.

She had insisted that the five of us head straight to Cobra’s schoolhouse as soon as Blade and Viper were loaded into ambulances. And I didn’t need to ask why. Something had been found in those boxes Whitney had salvaged from the orphanage.

Whatever it was, it rattled her. And that told me it wasn’t just her problem. It affected all of us.

The hum of the rotors dulled as Levi eased the bird down, smooth as ever, into the overgrown backyard of the schoolhouse. Aria gave him a thumbs-up as the skids settled into the long grass. Levi killed the engine, and Onyx let out a short, sharp bark, letting me know she was ready to go.

I patted her flank. "In a minute, girl."

“Touchdown,” Levi said, already unbuckling.

We slid the doors open, and the warm evening air rushed in, carrying the sound of cheers and voices. Onyx jumped over me and leapt out first, landing gracefully amongst the knee-high grass, and I followed her.

People raced out of Cobra’s converted schoolhouse, rushing toward us in a wave of relief and emotion. Their voices overlapped with laughter, cheers, even a few choked sobs.

"Jaxson . . . our hero!" Whisper shouted.

I rolled my eyes. “Not me. Onyx found them, and Maya cut them free.”

“Maya. You bloody legend,” Whisper cheered, squeezing Maya in a massive hug.

Everyone either shook my hand or hugged me. It was pure chaos, but for once, it was the good kind. The kind I hadn’t felt in far too long.

As I scanned the crowd, taking in the people who were here when I left, I recognized some new faces, Cody, Billie, and Xander. But there was one person I couldn’t see.

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