“Noah, I really need you to keep an eye on Elizabeth during this mission today. My wife would absolutely kill me if she found out I sent her best friend into something like this.”
Adonis said, running his fingers through his hair in that familiar way he did when he was stressed. I looked up from the file he handed me.
“Why? She can handle this on her own. Besides, I haven’t talked to her since the Gala. And let’s notforget the wedding, where she practically dodged me every time, I tried to strike up a conversation.”
That day still stuck with me; the moment Lillian discovered everything. I knew she was there, and deep down, I felt she needed to know the truth. Adonis seemed weak for not being upfront, or at least that’s how I saw it. When Lillian found out, I couldn’t shake the feeling of being a complete jerk afterward. All I wanted was for Adonis to be honest about his feelings. In the process, I ended up losing Liz. Though, to be fair, I never really had her in the first place; turns out, she had her own struggles alongside the rest of us.
“Don’t argue with me, just go make sure she’s safe.”
Adonis groaned. I smirked and nodded, knowing I wouldn’t win this battle. Ever since everything went down, Elizabeth had been avoiding me like the plague. I had no clue how to approach her after all that had happened. She ignored my calls and texts, and I even saw her toss out the flowers I had sent her.
“Let’s just hope this doesn’t turn into a complete shit show.”
---- ??? ----
I gathered my gear, strapping blades and vials into place like it might be the last time. You never know with these kinds of missions. One wrong move and everything you planned can go up in flames — or blood.
And then there was her.
God,Elizabeth.
No matter how many times I saw her in the field, it never stopped doing something to me — something primal and protective and damn near reverent.
I pulled up to the site, the old warehouse cast in shadows and amber moonlight. Her forest-green Jeep was already parked along the side, half-tucked beneath a tree. Of course she was early — she liked to own the space before it ever had a chance to turn on her.
I parked my bike beside hers and walked the perimeter silently, boots barely making a sound against the gravel. The moment I rounded the corner, I saw her — crouched down, completely locked in. Her braid had loosened, and strands of dirty blonde hair spilled around her shoulders, catching the light like spun gold. She was calm, methodical, deadly.
And thoseeyes— the left, a Caribbean blue that made me think of home, the right, green with gold like shattered glass after a fire.
I could drown in them. Ihad.
She didn’t see me. Not yet.
But then, I felt the shift in her posture. Her fingers twitched, then darted to her boot. I grinned before the blade even left her hand.
She spun, lightning-quick, and threw the knife straight at me.
I caught it mid-air with a smirk, spinning it once on my knuckle.
“Whoa there,Sunshine,no need to stab me.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Noah? What the hell are you doing here?”
I stepped into the light, returning her blade.
“Adonis sent me. Said to keep an eye on you. Make sure things went smooth.”
She scoffed, but her body relaxed. Barely. She stood up — and holy hell, the way her gear clung to her frame should be illegal in five countries.
She started talking through the plan, voice crisp and focused. I tried to listen —reallytried — but she had this way of stealing my oxygen without even noticing. Every line of her face, the way she brushed hair out of her eyes, the faint crease between her brows when she calculated risk… it was enough to wreck me.
“Earth to Noah.”
Her voice snapped me back.
“Sorry,” I muttered, grinning as I dropped my bag beside hers and started suiting up. “Just admiring the view.”
She rolled her eyes and turned back to the map.
