It should have sounded dramatic.
It didn't.
It sounded like a vow.
"I'll stay alive." I reached up and covered his hand with mine.
For a moment, Kenji just held my gaze. Then he tugged me closer—just an inch, just enough that my thigh pressed fully against his under the table, hidden from everyone else but impossibly intimate.
His other hand came to the back of my neck, fingers sliding into my hair.
Around us, the Fangs and Claws had the grace to look away, even Reo and Hiro.
Some studied the table.
A few checked their phones.
While all pretended they weren't witnessing this moment.
Kenji's forehead dropped to touch mine. His breath was warm against my lips. "Tora. . ."
My heart cracked open.
He closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, the Dragon was back in control.
Barely.
His hand slid from my neck, fingers trailing down my spine before settling back on my thigh. But the heat of where he'd touched remained.
He turned to Reo. "She gets full detail. Hiro and the Claws stay within arm's reach. Fangs on perimeter. Hackers monitoring every communication channel. I want eyes on her every second."
“Well. . .” Reo cleared his throat. “We should figure out the trap first before making any plans of—”
"Careful, Roar. I’m barely on board.”
Reo held up his hands. “I’m only being logical, Kenji, before making you any promises.”
Kenji growled. “Then, let’s figure out the fucking trap!”
I widened my eyes.
Hiro leaned back with a satisfied smirk. "Well. That was entertaining."
My lollipop had melted down to a thin crescent on my tongue, nothing but fragile sweetness and warm cherry syrup pooling along the edges.
I shifted it between my molars.
The sugar softened.
The flavor swelled—dark cherry, warm vanilla, and that little spark of citrus.
That was intense.
I pressed my teeth down on the lollipop. The crunch echoed in my skull—sharp, bright, satisfying. The candy shattered like thin stained glass, splintering into warm, sugary shards that dissolved instantly against my tongue.
A wash of flavor burst inside my mouth.
First the cherry—deep, syrupy, almost wine-rich. Then the vanilla—soft and warm, easing over the sharp edges. Then the citrus—just a blink of brightness tingled across the back of my tongue.
