I’m not sure why I feel the need to explain, but I do. And it’s not just because I don’t want any of these men—men who are still technically strangers and more than capable of doing awful things without a second thought—getting the wrong idea.
No, it’s more than that.
Sleeping with Talon was easy. I never pretended it would mean anything or change the dynamic between us. Talon’s that kind of guy. Where Cassian and Nathaniel keep parts of themselves guarded, protect what matters to them, Talon acts like nothing really does.
Which is why it was so jarring to see him lose it over Cassian’s life. But mine? Would he ever care like that about me? I doubt it.
I just wanted to let go for a moment. Live a little.
That sex meant nothing. Nothing at all.
But…
“Why the hell do you care, anyway?” I ask.
Cassian doesn’t answer right away. The silence stretches, filled only by the road slipping past.
Then he says, flatly, “I care about the efficiency of our team.”
Um… What kind of an answer is that?
“Oh, sure,” I say. “That’s why you’re asking me about sex with Talon? Team efficiency?”
He draws in a slow breath.
“There’s a reason fraternization is against protocol in the military.”
I narrow my eyes. “We’re not in the military.”
“No,” he says. “But I was. And some lessons don’t fade just because the uniform’s gone. You think this group works because we’re emotionally stable? We’re holding together with duct tape and denial, Skye. Anything that shifts the balance could snap us in half.”
“And I’m the liability now?” I snap. “Because I had sex?”
He looks at me then. Not just a glance. Really looks.
“You’re not a liability,” he says, quieter now. “But you’re unpredictable.”
“Unpredictable?” I echo, my voice sharp. “What am I to you, Cassian? Your soldier? Your project? Careful, you’re about to contradict yourself. Not long ago, you made it pretty clear what I was. A wisp of nothing. Forgotten that already?”
His jaw tightens. Something—regret, maybe—flickers across his face, but he masks it fast.
“No.”
“No?” I press. “You sure about that?”
There’s a pause. But it’s not the usual kind. This one isn’t a wall, it’s a minefield. One wrong move and we both blow up.
Then he speaks, voice low but steady. “You’re not property. Not a subordinate. And definitely not a fucking wisp of nothing anymore, alright?” His voice rises and softens at once, each word landing with the weight of both comfort and confrontation. It's weird, but it also shuts me up.
“I know we fucked up, Skye.Ifucked up. I never thought a Grim Reaper could turn into something like you. Feel things. Grow a body. Have her afterlife torn to shreds. That’s on me. I take the blame.”
He breathes, then adds, quieter, “But I know Talon. And he’s not the guy you should put your trust in. He breaks things. That’s all I meant.”
I study him. This might be the first time he’s actually showing me something real. And even though I’m pissed that we’re having this conversation at all, there’s a part of me that… likes it.
When was the last time anyone gave a damn about me, even in this twisted, jealous, displaced way? When was the last time someone handed me the truth, raw and unvarnished? When did anyone take responsibility for what they did to me?
Too long ago.
