Page 96 of Waging War
“Good.”
When I press forward, she races after me. “Where are you going?”
My skin prickles with anger when I whirl on her. At The Christy House, Hazel questioned where my loyalties lay. Now, there’s no question about it.
“Do you remember what it was like to be held against your will? To be kidnapped, manhandled, and tortured with the knowledge that your dad was dead?”
Her gaze hardens, but the unbridled anger I have toward Bruce continues to rise.
“This sadistic fuck has takeneverythingfrom me,” I tell her. “And his hold over me ends tonight. We’re going to finish him, and I’m not waiting for this chance to be ripped away from me.”
“He hasn’t taken everything, Ben. Don’t give him that much credit.” Hazel’s hand rests over my pounding heart. “Diablo couldn’t break you, and now, he’ll never get the chance.”
My hellion.
Her fingers curl into the fabric of my shirt as she speaks. “As much as it pains me to say this… we need to wait for backup. I’ve worked too hard to throw this all away now, and if we go in there after Bruce alone, there’s a good chance it doesn’t end well for us.”
Leaning into her touch, I war with logic and the sweet taste of vengeance. We’re moments away from catching Diablo and ridding ourselves of him completely, but can I live with myself if I’m the reason why we missed our chance?
After a long breath, I nod. “Okay, we’ll wait. But I’m not happy about it.”
She smirks as she searches my face. “Thank you for fighting beside me.”
“I think I should be thanking you,” I say, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “If you hadn’t tried to kill me with that fork, we wouldn’t even be here.”
“Too bad my fork-wielding skills are shit.”
I smile against her beautiful lips before kissing her deeply. Vengeance can wait. For now, I’m going to savor the feel of my woman against me.
“Doesn’t make it any less sexy,” I murmur.
Her laughter warms my insides, erasing my earlier fears. Hazel and I can figure the logistics of ‘us’ out as we cross them, butthisis what I want. This passionate, blazing fire every day, for the rest of my life.
“Questionable weapon choices aside, I think I’ll keep you.”
Hazel’s smile loses a bit of its luster. “There are plenty of perfectly stable, not-stab-happy women out there who could give you what you’re looking for.”
“Youare what I’m looking for.” I kiss her again because she’s delightfully tempting when she looks so vulnerable. “Murderous tendencies and all.”
I reach for her hand and hold her frozen fingers to my mouth. Pressing a kiss to each one, I warm them with my words. “Every rough edge and every battle to be fought, I’m going to be there.”
Surprising me, she hauls me against her by the front of my jacket, and in perfect Hazel fashion, she plants a hard kiss against my lips. “Fine,” she purrs. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“You know I love a challenge.”
* * *
Hazel and I hide behind a small storage building closer to the loading dock. From our position, it’s difficult to get a good eye on how many men we’re up against.
Pressing the device in my ear, I quietly call to Félix for an ETA.
Hazel’s brows pinch when we hear a garble of static followed by silence.
“How much longer, Mike?” Alfonzo shouts.
Our eyes collide when we hear the deputy’s name.
“Twenty more minutes. Then we pack up,” he answers.
