Page 88 of Code Name: Reaper
“And Mercury’s going to walk right into this because of me.”
The plastic restraints bit deeper into my wrists as I repeatedly tested them. They felt thick, designed to hold significant weight without breaking. The metal frame pressed against me—welded steel construction that wouldn’t give way easily. Breaking free would require leverage I didn’t have.
But there were always options if you looked hard enough. The welds on my right armrest showed stress fractures from years of use—I could feel the slight give when I applied pressure. The air currents suggested ventilation shafts or hidden access points.
“You had to come.” It wasn’t an accusation; it was a statement of fact. If my parents or my brother—or Amaryllisherself—were missing, I would’ve made the same decision she had.
“There’s something I need to tell you.” I used my full body weight to move the chair I was in closer to her. It scraped across the floor, a noise that might make our captors come running, but there were things I had to say while I had the chance.
“I made contact against your wishes.”
She smirked despite the dire situation we were in. “As if I didn’t know you would.”
“You want to know what else I think?” I shifted my weight again to test different angles of pressure on the restraints.
“Sure.”
“Something else is at play here. Aldrich’s reactions spoke louder than her words.”
“I picked up on the same things.”
“The way she said, ‘Finish what we started,’ felt off.”
“Agreed,” Amaryllis whispered. “I still think she plans to kill us.”
“Do you? Come on, you’re the one who reacts to feelings. Is that really what your instincts are telling you?”
She didn’t respond for several seconds. “You’re right. This isn’t what it seems,” she finally said.
“There’s my girl.” When I winked, she shook her head.
Amaryllis looked away, but I could still see the pain etched on her face. “I’m still sorry. I never should’ve contacted you in the first place.”
“Yeah? Did you really think I wouldn’t move heaven and earth to find you anyway? That there would’ve been a minute when I didn’t feel an ache deep inside me, knowing the only way to get rid of it was to figure out where the hell you were, then to keep you safe.”
Her eyes filled with tears again. “Kingston?—”
“I’m not done. When you opened that door in Montenegro, I knew in an instant that we were meant to be together. That kiss in Berlin? It’s what I wanted to do that night. Press you up against the wall, take my first taste, and claim you.”
Heat rose in her cheeks, and she turned to face me. “I wanted you to,” she whispered so softly I could barely hear her.
“I knew that. Wanna know how?”
Regardless of her response, I intended to tell her anyway. “The connection between us was immediate. It hit me like a lightning strike. You felt it too. You knew that the second we met, nothing would be the same. It didn’t matter how much we fought it or each other; we were already bound together.”
Tears spilled down her cheeks. “Don’t do this,” she pleaded.
“I have to.” I leaned forward as much as I could, straining against the restraints until they cut deep enough into my wrists to break the skin. “I need you to know that falling for you was the best decision I’ve made in my entire fucking life. I love you, Charity. Whether or not you love me too won’t change how I feel. I’ll love you until the day I draw my last breath.”
“God, Kingston, I love you too.”
“Close your eyes.”
She did without arguing.
“Does thisfeellike the end? Do you honestly believe we won’t walk out of here alive?”
Her lids opened wide. “We’re going to make it through this. As crazy and impossible as it seems, I know we are.”
