Page 134 of The Fighter
“No, I’m serious, Raven.”
“Why? He doesn’t like me. Why would he do something this nice?”
“It was Solo’s suggestion. He mentioned that it was a lot of pressure for Martinez to be responsible for your safety. He agreed and I suggested that you could do like you did at Station Seven when you came in in the morning and went home in the afternoon.”
Holding a hand in front of my mouth, I teared up. “I can’t tell you how happy that makes me.”
“I know, right?” Leo lifted me from the ground when he hugged me tight. “I was dreading sleeping alone without you, but now I won’t have to.”
“I can’t believe how everything is falling into place.”
Leo nuzzled his nose against my neck. “I’m happy you feel that way because in a few weeks, Khan is going to announce that he’s running for president and encouraging others to run against him. Even though he has been planning his campaign for weeks already, I guarantee you that the next months are going to be unstable and chaotic in the Northlands.”
“You keep saying that, but how can you know when it’s never been done before?”
Leo tucked a lock of my hair behind my ear. “Try to think of the Northlands like a small room. Right now, everything looks nice enough, but there’ve been small holes that indicate there might a problem with termites. But every time there was a hole, Magni showed up, sprayed for insects, and patched the hole up.”
“Okay.”
“Think of the four inner walls as representations of the laws that are currently prohibiting people from talking out against Khan.”
“Okay.”
“He’s preparing to tear down those walls to the studs, and what I’m saying is that we’re going to see what’s really inside the walls and it might not be pretty.”
“Are you expecting major termite issues?” I smiled.
“I am. And termites can cause major structural damage, so one should never take that shit lightly.”
Reaching up on my toes, I kissed Leo. “Maybe it’s time to remodel the Northlands and get rid of any hidden rodents and termites. Hopefully we can all live in a better room after that.”
Leo kissed me slowly before looking deep into my eyes. “Just know one thing. Whatever happens, I’ve got your back.”
“Thank you. I’ve got your back too. I hope you know that.”
He smiled. “There’s something I’m dying to show you, babe.”
“What is it?”
“I was going to surprise you with it tonight after the celebration, but the wait is killing me.”
“Then show me now.”
Looking over his shoulder, Leo made sure no one was watching and then he unbuttoned his shirt. Across his heart was a tattoo of a black panther.
“You didn’t,” I exclaimed in a small gasp.
“Of course I did. Catching you has been my greatest and most satisfying hunt ever.”
My initial shock turned to amusement. “Can I touch it?”
“Yes, they sprayed a protective layer on it.”
My hand ran over the impressive art piece. “And why does the panther look cute and harmless? If it represents me, at least you could have let it show some claws and some teeth.”
Leo pushed another lock of my black hair behind my ear and leaned in to whisper in my ear. “Nah, I prefer my cat purring and happy.”
“Huh.” I studied the tattoo, feeling honored that he’d chosen that place on his body for a symbol of me.
