Zach opened his mouth and closed it. There was more.
“What else?” Emma asked quietly.
He sighed and dropped his eyes to the floor. “Weapons… weapons make sense to me. Any weapon. Put one in my hand and I know how to use it. No training required. Expert level proficiency.”
He met her eyes directly for the first time today. “I was literally born for violence.”
Emma stared at him as her mind tried to categorize this information, to file it away somewhere that made sense.
It didn’t fit.
“How long have you—” she blinked. Started again. “When were you going to tell me?”
“I wasn’t.” Honest. Brutal. “It’s classified. I’ve never told anyone.”
“What about Nick and David?”
“They know. We discovered it together. My brothers and I don’t tell people. We can’t. The only other person who knows is my first sensei. He’s the one who identified my abilities.”
“But you’re telling me now.”
“You saw.” His jaw tightened. “You wouldn’t have stopped until you figured it out. You’re too smart not to.”
The compliment rang hollow in her ears.
Emma gazed down at the kit in her hands before setting it on the coffee table with undue care. Her eyes burned with unshed tears when she looked up again.
“I understand why you didn’t tell me.” Her voice stayed steady despite tears choking her throat. “Logically, I understand. But Zach…” She pressed her lips together, fighting for composure. “We’ve been joined at the hip for days now. Sharing meals. I’ve been in your space, in your life, depending on your protection. And you couldn’t trust me with this?”
“It’s not about trust?—”
“Then, what is it about?” The words came out sharper than she intended. She took a breath, forcing her tone to be softer. “What, Zach?”
He stood and moved toward her.
She stumbled back a step. The hurt that crossed his face was so brief she almost missed it.
“Protection,” he said. “The fewer people who know, the safer they are. The saferyouare. If this leaks…”
“Someone just tried to kill me with a crossbow, Zach.” Her voice wavered despite her efforts to steady it. “I don’t think I’m safe, regardless.”
“You’re alive because I was there,” he ground out. “Because of what I am.”
He was right. She knew he was right.
Emma wrapped her arms around herself again, the same protective gesture she’d used on the beach.
“I need…” she swallowed and tried again. “I need a minute. To process this.”
“Emma—”
“Please.” Her voice cracked on the word. “… give me a minute.”
She turned away from him and moved to the window. Not close enough to be a target—she wasn’t stupid—but far enough from Zach that she could think.
The glass reflected both of them.
She, hunched over, arms wrapped tight around herself.
