Page 63 of Own

Finally, he nodded and the sinking sensation fled.

“We’re going to stay dark here for at least another forty-eight hours. Rest. Everyone needs it and we need to refuel, rearm, and surveil.” He flicked a look past me. “Alphabet needs time with the intel.”

“Once we have it?” I included myself in that.

“Then we identify the soft entry points, break the chain, locate Reznik—cut that one off. Then eliminate the rest.” Eliminate. Kill.

I nodded slowly.

“Grace…” He sighed. “You don’t have to do this. We will make it happen. You can sit it out, stay?—”

“Safe while you guys risk everything?”

“You’re not going to go for it.” The muscles in his arm bunched but he put his hand over mine and held it there. “If you stay, you will follow the plan to the letter. That means there will be times you stay in the car or stay behind. Times where you have to move when we say move.”

“No questions asked.” I remembered. “But I’ll at least be a part of the plan and I won’t let you down.”

He squeezed my hand once, then shifted his attention to Legend. “Let him feed you. I probably need to eat. I’m going to roust Voodoo and Alphabet. We’ll handle the first round of planning over breakfast.”

When he released my hand, I let it fall away and he brushed my shoulder lightly before he strode out of the room. All at once, I sagged as the breath fled my body.

“Hey,” Legend was just there, arms sliding around me and I didn’t even try to pretend I didn’t need the support. “You did good.”

I huffed out a laugh that ventured dangerously close to being a sob. “I was really pissed.”

“Was?” He seemed almost hopeful.

I twisted to look at him and he just picked me up and put me on a counter so our heads were closer to level. It was irritating and adorable all at once.

“Might still be,” I said, testing the emotion. “I don’t like hearing you guys discussing getting rid of me.”

“You made that clear.” He brushed his knuckles down my cheek. “For what it’s worth, I don’t want to send you away and I’m almost certain Bones doesn’t either.”

“He just wants to protect me. You all do.”

“Guilty,” Legend said with a shrug. “Not going to apologize for it.”

“Not asking for one.” I cupped his face in my hands. “I get that I am a liability. That I don’t have your training. That there are things you can do that I can’t. I understand all of that. Just don’t decide for me. Don’t box me up for my own good without consulting me. A cage is a cage, Legend, no matter how pretty you decorate it.”

“Did you mean what you said to Bones?”

“That I love you for it?” The question was the right one. I hadn’t meant to confess something like that but it wasn’t just words. “I do.”

He leaned into me and I spread my legs so I could brace my knees against his hips. Pressing his forehead to mine, he seemed to be breathing me in. Or maybe that was me soaking in his nearness. The pounding of my heart had steadied and the panic in my soul eased.

“Say it again,” he ordered in a soft voice.

“I love you,” I whispered and his smile was sudden and fierce. Then my stomach growled and it was not remotely subtle. Laughter spilled out of him.

“I can make omelets if you like and I have potatoes for fried potatoes. What can I get you Gracie?”

The last time I’d said I was hungry flashed through my mind and he winked.

“You can have me anytime you want, but you do need to eat.”

Now I giggled and his expression brightened further. Love threaded through bruises and fire. That was what brought me here. Broughtushere.

“You know… I’d kill for french toast right now.”

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