Page 72 of Faron
She undressed me like she was learning me all over again. Her fingers brushed every scar, every line of muscle, every part of me that had been hardened by war and softened by her. She wasn’t in a rush. I had to slow my body down and let her control our making love this time. For now, anyway. She kissed my collarbone, my chest, the hollow of my throat—everywhere she could reach.
By the time I got her beneath me, I was shaking with restraint.
“You okay?” I asked, my voice hoarse.
“I’mready,” she whispered.
I sank into her slowly, watching her eyes, feeling every inch of her welcome me home. She gasped, wrapping her legs around me, anchoring me to this moment. To her. To us.
We moved together like we’d been made for this. No barriers. No masks. Just the two of us, skin to skin, soul to soul. Her hands gripped my back, nails digging in. My mouth found her neck, her shoulder, her jaw. She arched beneath me, her moans turning to my name.
“Faron,” she cried out, her voice breaking as pleasure overtook her.
I followed her seconds later, losing myself in her, collapsing with my forehead pressed to hers, both of us trembling.
Minutes passed before either of us could breathe.
Her fingers slid through my hair, her touch softer now. I rolled to the side, pulling her with me so we stayed tangled.
She rested her head on my chest, right over my heart.
“I want forever with you,” she whispered.
“You’ve got it,” I said, wrapping my arms around her. “Every last breath.”
Outside, the waves crashed. Inside, the storm had finally passed. “Blue, will you marry me? I want to be with you forever.
“ Are you sure? You know I can be a pain in the ass. I get grumpy when I’m hungry. Cry over sad silly movies. But I want to be with you for the rest of my life. So I’m going to say yes before you can change your mind.
I laughed out loud and pulled her back under me. We made love until we were both exhausted.
68
Aponi
Ididn't go back to sleep.
Instead, I stared at the girl’s name I didn’t know, the face I couldn’t quite remember. But Ifelther. I remembered the way her eyes locked on mine just before I shouted at Caleb. Before the gun went off. Before everything changed.
Tag’s voice echoed in my head:You sure it was only Caleb in that warehouse?
No. I wasn’t sure of anything anymore.
I drove into the city before sunrise, coffee in one hand, case folder in the other, and a notebook full of questions that no longer had answers. But I knew where to start.
Back to the warehouse.
The place had been condemned, supposedly torn down five years ago. But when I pulled up and parked across the street, I saw the new build—modern, steel, clean—and the same rusted fence still half-standing in the back. Like a scar the city forgot to cover up.
I hopped the fence, boots hitting dirt soft with years of neglect. The loading dock where I’d cornered Caleb was now partof a sleek office extension. But the foundation? The bones of this place? Still the same.
I walked along the side where the crates used to be stacked. Where I saw her.
Long hair. Bare feet. Eyes wide with terror.
Why was she there?
And more importantly…who put her there?
