She melted into him.
A lump the size of his fist lodged in his throat. Fuck, he missed this—the feeling of her in his arms, the rightness of it.
“Thank you for rescuing me,” her soft voice said into the silence.
He kissed the top of her head. “Always.”
Moments passed before she spoke again. “Are you afraid of me now?”
Christian relaxed his hold on her enough that she lifted her head. Her watery gaze met his, and the pain—thefear—he found in her eyes nearly severed his heart in two.
“No, never,” he replied. “I told you I’d love you no matter what, and I meant it.”
“Even though it’s not safe for you or Imara or Hawk or Nadine—or anybody—to be close to me? Iamdangerous, Christian. It’s all I could think about as we ran from the skimmer. In Zion, I thought the worst thing that could happen was being locked away forever, but now . . .” She shook her head. “I can’t let it happen. I can’t hurt you.”
He frowned, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “You won’t. The part of you that’s dangerous is not stronger than the part that’s fighting it.”
“You can’t promise I won’t lose control and have to watch you drop dead because of me.”
“No. But I can promise I won’t let you run just because you’re afraid. We’ll figure this out. It’ll all be okay.”
Gemma took a deep breath and nodded, though the fear in her gaze didn’t fade.
He pulled her back into a hug, and for moments, they just stood there as if time wouldn’t continue until they let go.
Then Imara called out. “Yo, lovebirds. We’re breaking open some rations. Get your asses over here and eat something.”
He felt Gemma’s mouth move into a smile against his chest. “I would’ve loved to see her boss you around like that when you guys were in Perileos.”
He chuckled. “She did try to break my finger at one point. She’s terrifyingly good at inflicting pain to get what she wants.”
“I’d say don’t tell her that, but I’m sure she already knows.”
When he looked at her, the soft smile had remained on Gemma’s beautiful face.
His heart fluttered.
Mist cooled her cheek, waking her gently from sleep. Exhaustion had hit her like a tram as she’d split rations with her friends, and within seconds of lying on a rock shelf near the waterfall, the fatigue won.
Gemma sat up slowly, every muscle stiff, and pressed her palm against the damp stone beside her. Voices trailed from across the cavern: Nadine’s clipped tone, Imara’s dry retort, Hawk’s quiet chuckle . . . They were already gathering supplies, cinching straps, and checking weapons. The weight in Gemma’s stomach reminded her why—soon, they’d be slipping into Perileos.
Christian was crouched near the supply crates, head bent as hewrapped the shoulder she’d seen bleeding last night. He glanced over once, catching her eye in that wordless way that said he was still here, that she wasn’t walking into this alone.
She wasn’t sure if that made her feel braver or more afraid.
Gemma pushed herself off the ground and crossed the cavern. Nadine knelt over a spread of gear, her movements efficient and clinical. She slid a holstered, compact pistol toward Gemma without looking up.
“You know how to use one of these?” Nadine asked.
Gemma stared at the weapon for a beat before taking it. “I do.”
“Good. Keep it concealed, and don’t use it unless you absolutely have to.”
Her hand tightened on the grip until the ridges pressed into her skin. Did her sister really think she was an idiot?
Hawk checked his rifle’s magazine while Imara adjusted the alignment on her prosthetic. Sometime while Gemma had slept, Imara’s drone had reappeared. It sat next to her on the ground; a blue light on its roof blinked as if it were charging.
Minutes stretched into hours, and with every second that passed, Gemma grew more restless. Christian twined his fingers with hers and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “Everything’s gonna be okay.”
