My lungs burn.
“My heart did.”
I squeeze my eyes shut.
“And now my mind is catching up,” she says.“Piece by piece.And none of the memories coming back make me want to run from you.”
“Kelly,” I warn.
“No,” she says firmly, cupping my face, dragging my gaze back to hers.“You protect me.You ground me.You fight for me.You hold me like I’m not breakable, but still cherished.”
“Because you are,” I choke.
“And you love me,” she whispers.My whole body freezes.She touches my chest right over my heart.“I remember enough to know that,” she says softly.“And I’m not scared of it.”
I can’t breathe.Not because her words scare me.Because they free me.
I grab her face in both hands and rest my forehead against hers, breath mingling, tears burning behind my eyes even though they don’t fall.
“I never stopped,” I whisper.
She gasps softly.
“Even when we ended things,” I continue baring my damn soul.“Even when you told me not to fall.Even when you walked away.Even when you forgot me.I didn’t stop.I don’t know how.”
Her hand slides to the back of my neck, grounding me.
“I don’t want you to stop,” she whispers.
A violent ache cracks open inside me.“I can’t lose you,” I admit.“I can’t survive that.”
“You’re not going to,” she promises.“Not tonight.”
Before I can answer, I hear movement.
Voices echo from the tunnel entrance.I stand so fast the air moves with me, placing myself instinctively between Kelly and the noise.I lift my weapon ready to take it head on again.
The metal hatch slams open.
“RIOT!”a familiar voice booms.
I lower my gun a fraction.
Chux.Stunt.Nitro.Shaft.Gainz.Looney.Along with three more brothers who spill through the entrance, weapons drawn, eyes scanning every inch of the underground.Kelly collapses forward against me in relief.I catch her, steadying her with both arms as her knees buckle momentarily.
Chux steps into the center of the room and freezes at the sight of us.His jaw ticks.He doesn’t comment about her so close to me.
He turns instead to the bodies on the ground.“Damn.You cleaned house.”
I don’t relax.
My voice comes out low and lethal.“One got away.”
“Yeah,” Nitro says, exchanging a look with Stunt.“We caught visuals him fleeing the east exit.He’s injured.”
“Not enough,” I growl.
Chux kneels by one of the downed men.“These marks, Jesus.Bratok’s men really did crawl out of their grave.”
