Page 214 of Nemesync
She chuckled and increased the speed.
Reaching the penthouse, I thanked Brian for her help, both with the body and the mission, and with a grin, she replied, “Remember, if you ever need a partner in crime, or in cleaning up a mess, you know where to find me. You did what you had to do tonight, Huntress. He wasn’t a good man.”
I ran toward the entrance, Lévi opened the doors for me without even questioning me about anything.
I entered the penthouse, my eyes immediately scanning for Elijah.
Relief. Finally, my first breath after being submerged under worry and concern.
He is fine, he’s fine, he’s fine.
Elijah, seated on the couch, looked up, his eyes widening, blood staining my face and dress.
Panic flashed across his face as he leapt to his feet, his voice strained with so much worry. “Milaya, what the fuck happened? Are you hurt?”
Without a word, I closed the distance between us in a heartbeat, wrapping my arms around him in a tight, desperate hug. My heart raced, mirroring my dark thoughts. It was all over the place. “You’re okay,” I exhaled against his chest.
Elijah’s hands instinctively went to my neck to feel my pulse. “I’m okay, Zanae. I’m okay.”
I pulled back slightly; my fingers gently traced the outline of his face. “I was so scared for you.”
He’s fine.
That’s the most important thing, the only one that matters.
Green eyes fixated on the blood on my face. “Zanae, you’re covered in fucking blood. What happened, I’m freaking losing it?”
“It’s not mine, Elijah,” I reassured him, “I’m not hurt, but we need to talk.”
“Talk? About what? Zanae, what happened out there? Don’t make me ask this goddamn question again.”
I took a deep breath, my eyes locking onto his. “Someone threatened you, Elijah. Threatened us. I had to take care of it.”
Silence.
The only sound was my breathing.
Elijah absorbed my words, realizing the lengths I would go to protect him. His concern only deepened when he felt the rapid pulsing of my heart beneath his fingertips on my wrist.
He met my eyes, his expression a mix of protectiveness and anger. “Milaya, you can’t keep doing this.”
In response, overwhelmed with urgency and so much relief, I surged forward, capturing his lips in a kiss that held a depth of emotion I hadn’t experienced before. It was urgent and desperate, a need, as if my world had been suspended until our lips met.
I needed him, now more than I’ve ever needed anything else.
He’s fine.
Elijah, quickly reciprocated, allowing the kiss to live forever. His hard and firm hands found their way to my waist, pulling me closer, anchoring me to him. Everything seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of us, with the sense of this toxic obsession with safety.
When we finally broke the kiss, our eyes locked, and Elijah spoke, his voice a deep, resonant, and threatening murmur. “Tell me who threatened you and I’ll break his neck; you can’t always put yourself in danger. I’m the one protecting you.”
I nodded, “I know, Elijah. But when someone threatens you, I can’t just stand by.”
Taking a deep breath, I spat the story in short lines, trying to analyze his reactions and figure out how he felt.
His eyes bore into mine; his voice deep and laced with restrained anger, “But you lied to me, you kept this from me.”
My eyes met his gaze. “I had to, Elijah. You wouldn’t have let me go if I told you. And I needed to handle it my way.”
