Page 87 of Celestial Combat

But we were wrong.

Apparently, she hadn’t been working alone. And now, the war she started wasn’t over. It was just the beginning.

Trevor watched me carefully, reading the way my shoulders went rigid, the way my fists clenched under the table.

“You know what this means, right?”

“It means we’ve got a bigger problem than we thought.”

Trevor leaned back, exhaling as he ran a hand down his face. “It also means Kali is in more danger than ever.”

That sent something sharp through my chest.

Trevor must’ve seen it – the flicker of tension in my jaw, the way my fingers curled into my palms. His gaze narrowed, and suddenly, his expression shifted. “You care about her.”

It wasn’t a question.

I held his gaze. “What happened was fucked up.”

Trevor didn’t look convinced.

And maybe he was right. Maybe respect wasn’t the only thing keeping me close to Kali. Maybe it wasn’t the only thing that made me stay with her last night, made me cook for her, made me watch over her even when she was fast asleep in my bed, breathing evenly, smelling like me.

Trevor studied me for another second before sighing. “Look, I know she’s strong. Stronger than most. But she’s still my sister. And whether she admits it or not, she needs protection.”

“I’ll arrange some security–”

“I want you to be Kali’s bodyguard.”

I stared at him. “What?”

Trevor didn’t flinch. He held my gaze, his expression unshakable, like he’d already made up his mind before thisconversation even started. “I want you to be with her. At all times.”

I let out a slow exhale. “I don’t– ”

“It’s not safe for her right now, Zane. You know that.”

I did.

After what Tao said, this wasn’t over. Kali wasn’t just some fighter who got caught in the crossfire. She was a target now. The people behind Ruiz were still out there, moving in the dark, waiting.

And yet–

“I can’t,” I said, shaking my head.

Trevor’s jaw tightened. “Why the hell not?”

I didn’t answer right away.

Because what was I supposed to say? That I didn’t trust myself? That I could barely keep my own thoughts in check when she was near? That last night, when she asked me to stay, I almost didn’t keep my distance?

That keeping her safe was one thing.

But keeping myself from wanting her was another.

Trevor sat back, exhaling sharply. And then, before I could think of another excuse, he said something that made my entire body go still.

“You’re my best friend, man. If I can’t trust you with this, then who do I got?”

---