But that night, there was a different energy in the air. I couldn’t quite place it, but it was there—subtle, lingering right beneath the surface.
“Cobra,” she mumbled suddenly, her voice barely above a whisper, breaking the stillness.
I looked up from my book, brow furrowed in confusion. The firelight caught her face right as she spoke, and for a moment, I thought I had misheard. “What?”
She cleared her throat, and I noticed a faint flush creeping across her cheeks. The usual confidence in her demeanor wavered, replaced by something a little more vulnerable. “You, uh, remind me of a cobra,” she explained, her gaze dropping to the floor as if she was already second-guessing her words.
My eyebrows shot up in surprise, amusement and curiosity flickering in my mind. The leather creaked as I leaned forward,then rested my elbows on my knees, studying her. “A cobra?” I repeated, barely suppressing a grin. “Why?”
She shifted in her seat, clearly uncomfortable now, but I wasn’t about to let this go. I watched as she fumbled for an explanation, her fingers playing with the corner of her book.
“Because you lure people in with your charm and then end them with your venom. Cobras do the same,” she said, meeting my stare briefly before looking away.
A sly smile tugged at my lips. “This is the second time you’ve called me charming.”
She rolled her eyes, clearly trying to downplay it. “I was being ironic both times.”
"Still counts." I leaned back in my chair, letting my smirk widen, watching the way she tried to brush it off like it didn’t matter.
She crossed her arms, giving me a pointed, skeptical look. "It’s not a compliment."
"You sure about that?" I tilted my head slightly, letting a playful glint spark in my eyes. For a second, I saw a flicker of doubt in hers.
"Yeah. Pretty much," she replied, trying for confidence, but a tiny hesitation betrayed her.
I leaned in just a fraction, dropping my voice. "I think it means you’re charmed by me, little nightcrawler."
Her brows furrowed. "Little what?"
"Nightcrawler. Like the black widow—quiet, lethal, sneaky as hell."
She scoffed. "Ah. Anothercharmingnickname."
"Again, with calling me charming."
Her countenance hardened as she met my gaze head-on “I think ‘charming’ is a euphemism for ‘untrustworthy.’”
Her words hit harder than I expected. I stiffened, the playful grin fading from my face almost instantly. She hadn’t just thrown around a playful jab—she’d meant it.
I took a long, slow sip from my Scotch, the burn of the alcohol doing little to ease the sudden weight pressing against my chest. Of course, she had every reason not to trust me, after what we’d done to her.
I couldn’t blame her for still holding onto it, even if a part of me wished things were different. I shifted in my chair, forcing myself to swallow the bitter taste of regret.
Maybe it was time to stop hoping for forgiveness I didn’t deserve.
Petru’s message came through at 15:57.
By 16:00, my team was gathered, the atmosphere thick with unspoken concern. Conversations had died down, replaced by a quiet unease which lingered like the calm before a storm. The Radicals had moved again, this time edging dangerously close to Petru’s borders. That alone would have been cause for concern, but there was more.
Slava Offensives had detected something unusual traveling with them—an energy field. Unfamiliar, unidentified, and moving with intent.
With rumors of the Amplifier being on the move, the sudden shift in Radical activity felt deliberate, too well-timed to be a coincidence. We had no confirmation of where the Amplifier actually was, whether it was near Slava or somewhere else entirely, but one thing was certain: this wasn’t a routine maneuver.
Another recon mission was inevitable.
While the team started discussing possibilities, I found myself stealing glances at Emma more often than I should.
The way she held herself—focused, unwavering, entirely absorbed in the plan—it captivated me. Her posture, her stillness, the quiet intensity in the way she listened and analyzed every detail drew me in. And whenever I stared at her for too long, my mind began to drift to places I knew it shouldn’t.
