So I lied. “Fine.”
He eyed me, head cocked. “I’ll hold you to that.”
“I’ll hold you tighter.”
He gave a heavy sigh, his hand tightening on mine. His thumb brushed the gold ring on my finger. “This is beyond stupid. I hope you realize that.”
32
Asylum
Seeking asylum is not a crime; it is a human right.
—UNITED NATIONS REFUGEE AGENCY (UNHCR)
Under cover of darkness, we drove through the forested road that led to headquarters and pulled up to the gated driveway. Lucas lifted an eyebrow at me. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.Thisis your headquarters?”
I hopped out of the Jeep to push open the gate. A whistle sounded, and I lifted my hand to signal my affiliation. Lucas drove through, and I closed it while he pulled into the circle drive. After exiting the car, he assessed the grand entrance to the rotunda from the shadow beneath his hoodie, all darkened behind the metal window covers.
The watchman left his hidden post to meet us, weapon raised, but when he drew close, he froze, eyes wide. “Sophia?”
The familiar voice iced my nerves. “Jayden?”
“Sophia?”He crossed the distance between us, gathering me in a bear hug. I whimpered and cringed as my glued wounds protested his touch.
He released me, his hands cupping my shoulders, expression concerned. “Are you okay?”
I glanced sideways at Lucas. “I hurt my back. Please don’t touch it.”
Lucas’s narrowed eyes studied us, and my insides filled with butterflies. These two men were never supposed to meet.
“Where’ve you been?” Jayden’s voice cracked. “We thought you… I’ve been worried about you.”
“It’s kind of a long story. I can’t really explain?—”
“Sophia, who is this?”
The deceptive calm in Lucas’s voice made my eyes flutter closed. “This is Jayden,” I said, forcing a brightness I didn’t feel.
Only then did Jayden acknowledge we weren’t alone. His attention flickered to Lucas. “Friend of yours?”
The dark kept Lucas’s features obscured enough to remain anonymous.
“Yeah. From another safe house. He needs to see the general.”
Jayden lifted his chin toward Lucas and lost interest, turning back to me. “God, girl, it’s good to see you.”
I opened my mouth, not sure what I could say, but he cut me off. His arms slid around my neck, and he pressed his mouth to my hair.
Lucas’s expression sharpened into a murderous union of displeasure and rage. “Sophia.” His voice was eerie in its softness. “Please make it stop.”
Or I’ll kill him.
I extracted myself from Jayden’s grasp. “We need to see Theo, Jayden.”
Unaware of the predator in his midst, Jayden nodded. “Come with me.” He headed toward the house.
Instead of following, Lucas turned full on to face me. He tilted his head in a silent question.
