The sun still glowed over the hills by the time I made it back to my room. The shadows outside stretched long, and the compound was slowly settling into the daily routine that came after the morning drills. I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the wall. I was deep in thought when I remembered that I was supposed to call Ruby.I picked up my phone and hesitated for a second before dialing. The line rang once, then twice.“Emma?” Ruby’s voice burst through the speaker like sunshine. “Hey! Would you look at that. You did remember I exist.”I laughed softly. “Barely.”She scoffed. “Rude.”“I was thinking about you today.”“Well, of course you were. I’m extremely lovable.”I smiled, leaning back against the pillow. “How are the kids?”“Ferals, the both of them,” she said, but there was so much affection in her voice I could practically see the fond eye-roll she gave them. “Charlie refuses to wear anything but his superhero pajamas, and Chelsea thinks she can train the goats to sit on co
We checked out of the hotel just after nine.The staff offered polite smiles and called Damon sir, though I noticed the way one woman lingered a second too long on his jawline before handing him the receipt.I didn’t blame her.Outside, the morning air was crisp. The sun had barely crested the hills, casting soft gold light across the parking lot as Damon loaded the last bag into the car.That’s when I realized it.“My bracelet,” I said, freezing.Damon looked over the top of the car. “What bracelet?”“The silver one. With the little violet stone. It’s—it was my mom’s. I left it in the washroom near the spa area.”Without waiting, I turned and sprinted back inside, boots thudding against the marble tile.I found the bracelet exactly where I left it. It was near the sink, tucked by the soap dish. Relief washed over me as I slipped it back onto my wrist.As I stepped back into the hallway, a young man, late twenties maybe, was leaning against the gold railing, phone in hand. His hair wa
The morning light slid through the hotel curtains like a thief, catching on the curve of Damon’s jaw, the flutter of his lashes against his cheek. I was warm, entangled in his arms, still fully clothed from the night before.His heartbeat thudded steadily beneath my cheek. It was calm. Grounding.And dangerous.I started to shift away carefully, thinking I could slip out without waking him.I was wrong.His arm tightened around my waist, pulling me flush against his chest.“You really thought you’d sneak off?” Damon’s voice was still sleep-rough, teasing and low.“I wasn’t—”He didn’t let me finish.He rolled us over in one smooth motion, caging me beneath him with one leg pressed between mine. His lips captured mine in a kiss that made my thoughts scatter like ash in the wind.Hot. Deep. Possessive.I gasped against his mouth, and his hand slid up under the hem of my shirt, grazing the curve of my waist. Daring to move higher.“Damon…” I warned, but it came out as more of a whisper.
The mission hadn’t left my mind throughout the day.I found Abel just before nightfall alone, sorting through equipment in the east wing storage room. His team had already shipped out while he stayed behind.“For someone who doesn’t trust many people,” I said, stepping inside, “you picked a hell of a time to hang back.”Abel looked up slowly, tossing a sealed ammo pack onto the shelf. “You got something to say, Dickens?”I lowered my voice as I scanned around the room. “I want to know when we start our mission. About the leak. About Gracie.”He studied me, the humor gone from his face. “Not now.”“Why not now?”“Because eyes are everywhere. And ears too. We can’t afford to misstep now. This is a personal mission.”I folded my arms. “So what, we sit on it?”“No. We move carefully,” he said, stepping closer. His voice dropped low. “No one must know about this. Not even Damon.”The room suddenly felt colder.I stared at him. “You’re serious.”Abel didn’t flinch. “His life could be in dan
Two days later, the compound was quiet. It wasn't peaceful. It never was. But quiet in a way that made the skin on my neck tighten. The kind of quiet that comes after something’s been broken. And everyone’s pretending it hasn’t.My bandages were clean, but my leg still ached a little with every step. I limped through the lower hall, clutching the file Abel had given me like it might explode if I held it wrong. Because maybe it would.The data stick recovered from Agent Kellan wasn’t just about the weapons ring.It was about us.Damon found me before I reached Command. He didn’t say a word at first. He just took one look at my limp, my bruised shoulder, and the way I refused to meet his eyes. Then he closed the space between us and wrapped his arms around me.“If you're still tired, you should get some rest. You don't have to overwork yourself.”“I just have to give this file to command like Abel instructed. I was supposed to do this the day before but I kept putting it off unintention
The dust hadn’t even settled when the jokes started.Rook, who was lying flat on his back and groaning, pointed at me from the stretcher.“Okay… I take it back. You’re not just pretty. You’re terrifying.” He said breathlessly.Jet snorted quietly as he helped load the last pack onto the evac rig. “I guess your last mission wasn’t just luck.”Silva, sitting beside me with her arm in a sling, raised her one good brow. “No. It wasn’t.”I blinked, surprised. Silva hadn’t said more than five words to me during the entire operation unless she was barking orders or scowling.She turned to face me fully. “You kept your head when most rookies would’ve panicked. Protected the captain. Held your aim and got us out alive. I know only a few rookies who would be able to do what you did today.”“i didn't do it alone,” I said, brushing some dried blood off my shoulder.“No,” she agreed, “but you didn’t fold. I’ve seen people with more years than you break down in situations like that.”She stood and