“Four a.m. isn’t so bad,” he murmurs sarcastically. He seems so at ease, if I wasn’t there myself, I wouldn’t believe what went down today in the cornfield. It puts a weight in my chest, how desensitized they are to the horror of their lives. In a way, I guess I am a little bit too.
My eyes are heavy and start to shut when Roman presses his forehead to my shoulder. “Hey, Squirt?” His soft whisper warms my skin.
“Yeah?”
“Do you care about us? About me?” His touch is gentle as he glides his hand soothingly over my hand.
My brows pinch. “Of course I do.”
“We need your help.Ineed your help.” His voice sounds pained, like he wouldn’t ask me unless he had no other choice. I worry my lip.
“My help?”
He nods against my neck. “That guy today that reacted to you? I think he’s our main target. We need to get him alone, and I think the best chance we have of getting him to come out again is if you reach out.”
Chills erupt over my skin at the thought of seeing Callum again. I swallow nervously. “I don’t know, Roman?—”
“Please, Briar. We need you,” he pleads, rolling me to my back so he can stare down at me. He’s so beautiful in the dim light, every angle of his face is etched in shadow. “Please. I won’t force you to do it if you don’t want to, but you should know that Lieutenant Syxx doesn’t beg. Not for anything, but I will if it’s you.”
His eyes trace over my features, and damn it if my heart doesn’t flutter every time he’s this close. “You promise you won’t let him hurt me?” I whisper, and it sounds so pathetic.
Roman’s eyes soften?, and he presses his forehead to mine. “I promise. I won’t let him touch you, Briar.”
I wish I believed him completely. But it’s enough. “Okay.”
His eyes light up and he sits up a bit. “You’re sure?”
I swallow. “Yeah.”
He kisses my cheek and nuzzles back beside me, holding me in his strong arms. It makes me feel like the most precious thing to him. Even if it’s a delusion, I entertain it for this moment, in the dark, early hours.
“He hurt you before,” Roman says in a low voice, yet it feels like a shout. It’s because he isn’t asking, he’s affirming. “He’s the ex that tried to kill you. What’s his name?”
That old wound twists in my heart and festers. I manage one small nod. “Callum.”
Roman brings his lips to my shoulder. “Can you tell me what happened? Why did he try to kill you?” His finger coasts over my new scar, where he’s already rewritten my past.
I smile sadly at the thought. “It’s the oldest story in the book, Roman. He betrayed me, and I was dumb enough to fall for it. I ended up buried because of it. I never really got an answer as to why.”
His mouth firms into a frown. “I’m sorry, Briar.”
“Me too.” My voice is so weak, I’m surprised he hears it.
“After this mission, I swear you’ll never see that motherfucker ever again.” I hope he’s right, and I never cross paths with Callum again.
“Will you kill him?”
Roman is quiet for a moment, as if he actually needs to contemplate it. “Yes.”
A small smile curves my lips.
25
BRIAR
The squad returnedto the farm the next morning. Apparently they didn’t pick up on any suspicious activity for the rest of the night and morning.
It felt much safer having everyone back together. I understood why John said that the home is where the squad is. I’d never felt like I truly belonged anywhere more than I do with them. It solidifies that it’s not the places we find our home in, it’s the people.
