I can't stop.
"You should be afraid of me," I manage.
"Probably."
"I'm not a good man."
"I know."
"Then why?—"
"Because I'm not afraid of monsters." Her chin lifts. Defiant. Fierce. "I was raised by them."
My control snaps.
I don't kiss her.
I want to—Jaysus, I want to—but we're in a safe room, there are bodies upstairs, and someone just tried to kill her.
This isn't the time.
But I do step closer.
Close enough that her back hits the wall.
Close enough that my body cages hers, one hand braced beside her head, the other coming up to cup her jaw.
"When this is over," I say, my voice rough, "when you're safe, when I figure out who just tried to take you from me—we're going to finish this conversation."
Her breath hitches. "Is that a threat?"
"It's a promise."
For a long moment, we just stare at each other.
The tension between us is a living thing, crackling like electricity, demanding release.
Then the door opens, and reality crashes back in.
I step away from her, my mask sliding back into place, as Doran storms into the room with murder in his eyes and questions I don't want to answer.
But I can still feel her.
The warmth of her skin against my palm.
The way she looked at me like I was something worth wanting.
Turns out the perfect soldier isn't so perfect after all.
And God help anyone who tries to hurt her again.
CHAPTER TWO
Dalla
The water runs cold before I realize I've been standing under it for twenty minutes.
I blink, reaching for the tap with trembling fingers, and watch the last of the pink-tinged water swirl down the drain.
