I head to my own room but know sleep won't come easy. Tomorrow we question Hutchins. Tomorrow we move closer to ending the threat against Andi.
But as I lie in bed listening to the quiet sounds of my house, one thought keeps circling back. The evidence pointsto Hutchins. The timeline fits. The access matches. Everything lines up too perfectly.
And in my experience, when something looks that clean, it usually means I'm missing something important.
7
ANDI
Sleep won't come. I've been lying here staring at the ceiling of Devlin's guest room, too aware of him down the hall. Every creak of the house settling reminds me that someone tried to kill me tonight. That I'm here because Devlin checked my truck before I drove it. That I'm alive because he refuses to let anything happen to me.
But it's not just gratitude keeping me awake. It's the memory of his hand tucking hair behind my ear, the heat in his eyes before that phone call interrupted us, the way he looked at me when I said I could get used to this. Like maybe he could too.
I give up on pretending and pad quietly down the hallway in bare feet and sleep shorts, intending to get water. But a soft light draws my attention to the back of the house. Through the sliding glass door, I spot Devlin sitting on the back porch, Duke at his feet. Neither of them are asleep either.
I slide the door open carefully. Devlin turns at the sound, his expression shifting from alert to something softer when he sees me.
"Can't sleep?" His voice is low in the quiet night.
"Too much going through my head." I step onto the porch, the cool air raising goosebumps on my bare arms. "Mind if I join you?"
"Not even a little bit." He gestures to the chair beside him, but I bypass it and sit directly on the porch steps, closer to where Duke is sprawled. The dog lifts his head, tail thumping twice in greeting before settling back down with a contented sigh.
Devlin moves from his chair to sit beside me on the steps, close enough that our shoulders almost touch. Above us, stars scatter across the clear night sky. The base is quiet at this hour, only occasional sounds of night operations carrying across the distance.
"What's going through your head?" he asks after a moment of comfortable silence.
"Everything." I pull my knees up, wrapping my arms around them. "Someone tried to kill me today. They're bringing Hutchins in for questioning, but what if he's not the guy? What if he is? What if whoever did this is still out there?" I rest my chin on my knees. "And then there's you."
"Me?" Curiosity and wariness mix in his voice.
"You." I turn my head to look at him. "You who slept on a hotel floor to keep me safe. You who checked my truck before I drove it. You who brought me into your home and cooked me dinner and let me feed pasta to your dog when I thought you weren't looking."
"I was definitely looking." A smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. "Duke's trained not to beg. You undid years of discipline in five minutes."
"Good." I bump my shoulder against his. "He deserves to be spoiled sometimes." I pause, choosing my words carefully. "I'm tired of being afraid. Of not living because I might lose someone. Of choosing loneliness because connection means risk."
He's quiet for a long moment, his profile outlined by the dim light from inside. "You already got past every wall I built," he finally says, rough honesty in his voice. "I don't know how to keep you out anymore. Not sure I want to."
"Then stop trying." The words come out steadier than I feel. "Stop protecting yourself from this. From us."
"Andi..." My name is a warning and a plea.
"I'm done being careful. Done running from feeling something real." I reach out, my fingers finding his where they rest on his knee. "I know this is complicated. I know you're supposed to be protecting me, not getting involved. But I'm done pretending this is just about safety."
His hand turns under mine, fingers threading through mine and holding tight. "If we do this, if we cross this line, everything changes. You understand that?"
"I'm counting on it." I squeeze his fingers. "Take the risk with me."
Duke's tail thumps against the porch like punctuation. Devlin's eyes drop to my mouth, then back to my eyes.
"Yes," I whisper, answering the question he hasn't asked.
He closes the distance between us, his mouth finding mine. The kiss is hungry, desperate, everything we've been holding back since Duke decided I was pack. His hand comes up to cup the back of my head, fingers tangling in my hair as he deepens the kiss. I taste mint and want and Devlin Porter finally letting his control slip.
I shift closer, needing more contact. My palms find his shoulders, solid and warm through soft cotton. He groans against my mouth when I press against him, and the sound sends heat spiraling through me.
"Inside," he manages between kisses. "Not on my back porch where half the base could see."
