“What’s wrong?” she asked quietly.
Stone lifted his phone. Hit a programmed number. Reached for Brighton and drew her to himself. No way he was going to let anything happen to her.
“Yo, big bro!”
“Hey.” Stone peered into Brighton’s worried eyes and said words he never thought he’d voice. “I think I’m going to need your help, Canyon.”
Chapter
Eighteen
Bexar-Wolfe Lodge, Northern Virginia
“So, he’s coming.” Her heart thrashed and Brighton moved away from Stone.
He eased onto a barstool and held out a hand.
Right now, she didn’t want romance. She didn’t want his charm. Because she’d never forgive herself if Ladomer got to Stone. Because it wouldn’t just be his career slaughtered this time. Ladomer would make sure Stone’s body was unrecognizable???—if it was ever found.
“C’mere.”
Reluctantly, she moved toward him.
He laced their fingers and drew her closer, peering up at her.
Brighton ran her fingers over his beard. It was soft, but also scritchy. Realizing what they were facing, what was coming, she let herself kiss him again. Breathed her relief that at least she had known this one more time.
He tilted his head and frowned at her. “That was a kiss of death.”
She startled that he understood what she was thinking.
“Had no passion. That was a kiss of saying good-bye.”
She smoothed his beard and traced his cheek, feeling raw over the noose around their necks. “He never loses, Stone. And if he’s coming??—”
“I take exception to that. He lost you the night we met.”
What …?
“Because while he got in the way, separated us once, I’m not letting it happen again.”
“I don’t deserve you.”
“Can you promise to remember that the next time we fight?”
She frowned.
“Because I don’t know what it’s going to look like, Tizzy, us working through this. You have a lot of healing to do. I do, too. It’s going to be messy.”
She nodded. Smiled. “My agent always said messy is good. Messy hair, messy clothes?—too much perfection draws the attention away.”
“Well, we don’t have to worry about perfection with me in the mix.”
“I don’t know,” she said. “You are pretty perfect. Even with the beard.”
He groaned. “Leave a guy some dignity, will you?”
Overwhelmed at what they were facing, what was coming, she threw her arms around his neck and locked them tight. “I’m scared.”
