“I need to tell you about my dream.”
A derisive laugh passes his lips. “Your dream? The one where you were yelling for some ghostly boyfriend? Did you kiss him, too?”
“That is not fair!” I shout.
He gets up and jumps off the boulder. “Fair? You want to talk to me about fair? I finally come home, and the first thing I see is you kissing one of the recruits. Then, on top of that, I get to watch firsthand security footage of you making out with Shadow all over the damn campus! And now you want to tell me about your makeout session with a ghost you just dreamed about. Go home, Jessica. Go tell one of the other recruits you make out with behind Shadow’s back.”
A cold chill of fury runs up my spine. All I see is red. I cover the short space of distance and push him with all my might. “You don’t get to treat me like this!”
He recovers after stumbling back a couple of steps. I push him again, but he anticipates my shove and braces himself.
“You kissed me.”
I move to strike his abdomen. He blocks my attempt and swings around me, moving away from the ledge.
“You told me you loved me.”
I swing my body for a roundhouse kick, but he blocks me again.
“And then you left me. You don’t get to treat me like I did something wrong.” I fake a high kick and swing a punch, catching him in the jaw. “You… you ghosted me when I needed you.”
He backs away, so I set off in a hurried pace and knock him down. I straddle his chest and punch him in the face.
“I loved you from the moment I met you, and you left me without a word.” I pull my arm back to punch him again.
He swiftly sits up, grips my arms, and flips us over. I raise my fisted left hand to throw a punch, and he catches it, gripping both wrists in his large hands and pinning them above my head. His hands are hot, almost as hot as the fire he wields. He’s breathing hard, and he squeezes his eyes shut. “You knew I was leaving. You asked me to kiss you again before I left.”
“I needed you more than I wanted to admit. You broke my heart.” My voice cracks. Large drops of rain begin to fall over us.
He opens his eyes and tilts his face up to the sky, letting the rain wash over his face. When he looks down, his gray eyes are molten, heavy with emotion. “I broke my own fucking heart,” he croaks.
He crashes his lips onto mine, desperately coaxing my lips open with his tongue. Fiery heat spreads over my chest and sears my heart.
Even though the thoughts in the back of my brain tell me that this is so wrong, I part my lips and kiss him back. Electrical tingles race down my spine.
He releases the firm grip over my wrist and glides his hand down my body, searing my skin. His body burns against mine. He parts my legs with his knees and presses his hardened cock against my core. His hand slides under my shirt, pressing against the thin material covering my breast. He rubs against me, and the friction between our bodies elicits a deep moan. He releases my lips.
“Tell me that you’re still mine,” he whispers against my lips. He rubs soft circles around my nipple with his thumb. My head clouds from his kiss, his touch. “Tell me that you still love me, like I still love you.” He dives in for another kiss, consuming me and muddying the thoughts in my head.
A sound from behind us startles me back into awareness. A tingling sensation ripples up my scalp. He pulls back, his face hovering over mine.
What is wrong with me? I push against his chest with my free hand, and he retreats, resting his weight on his heels. I scramble to my feet. I close my eyes in guilt and shame and run back to the training facility.
Chapter 73
Secrets of the Slums
JESSICA
Six Years Ago
“ETA, fifteen minutes,” Ean barks from the driver seat of the recruit van. Skunk and Van removed the seats from both shuttles so more of us could fit into each one. The three men that were captured were found dead in the closet. They ingested some kind of poison—a mixture of wolfsbane and cyanide. My palms are damp with sweat. I don’t want anyone to notice, so I carefully wipe them over my tactical gear and pretend to check my weapons.
This is either the worst idea I ever came up with or the best. Either way, Anders and Shadow are coming home tonight. I struggle with the straps at my side. My tanto’s scabbard keeps sliding down. The slickness from my palms makes it difficult to get it just right. Silently, I let out a frustrated breath between my lips.
“Jessica, come here.” Luke waves me over.
I scoot down the van floor and stop in front of Luke.
