“I am following you,” I purred. “Waiting. Watching. Lurking everywhere. Let’s call it curiosity—this want, this need to be around you—why... is that creepy? I am a pervert, though.” A grin tugged at my mouth.
Honestly, I wasn’t sure how those men hadn’t found us yet. The door was barely a door. Yet with the way the dim light touched her skin and caught in her hair, with her eyes fixed on mine, I didn’t give a damn. I tried to take in every detail, storing it away in the place where I kept all my obsessions.
“Why? Why do you call me Petal? Do I look like some fragile, broken thing that needs protection?”
“Lina… why would I ever think that? You want to know why I call you Petal?” I released my hold just enough to tilt her chin further.
“I chose it because it fit. The way you leave subtle signs of respect for the dead. And yes, there’s a kind beauty to you. Not fragile. Not breakable. Just delicate in a way that is complicated and impossible to replicate. You care about people you don’t even know. I admire that. I admire you. You inspire me, Petal. To do better. To be better. You stole whatever was left of my soul. You’re good for me.”
I wasn’t good for her. But I was greedy.
She didn’t look away. She didn’t flinch. What was she thinking? Was I pushing too far? Did I fuck it all up? Too late to take it back. Too late to stop thinking about kissing her.
Don’t, don’t, don’t.
It took everything in me to step back, letting go of her face as my eyes dropped to the floor. My body fought me every inch of the way.
“You are an interesting person, Cezar,” she murmured, a shyness surfacing that she clearly hated showing. I couldn’t see it well in the dark, but I knew she was blushing. She didn’t hate what I said. And now that she understood why I called her Petal, maybe she’d let me keep doing it.
“At least I’m not boring. So, what do you say, Petal?” I lifted my hands again, almost touching her face, before I stopped myself.
“Fine. Whatever. Just don’t call me that in front of my men.” She rolled her eyes, but her voice didn’t have any bite.
Footsteps echoed down the hall again.
Her expression told me everything. She was telling me she’d see me again. Whatever happened the other night wasn’t the end. This wasn’t all we were going to be.
Fuck it. We’re all going to die anyway. Might as well make it worth something.
Chapter 17
ADELINA
The way he robbed my senses was terrifying. It felt like I’d forgotten the entire mission, forgotten the kids, forgotten who the hell this man even was. In that tiny closet, we were just two strangers breathing the same air.
I didn’t hate the nickname. Maybe it reminded me too much of my youth. Too much of the pain I buried. When he first said it, it cracked something open. But the more he used it, the more I wanted to hear it—his low, raspy tone winding through me.
He turned me on more than I would ever admit. He was drop-dead gorgeous, sure, but it was more than that. There was something about the way he carried himself, the way he looked at me. His presence alone filled whatever space we were in and did things to me.
We were both so wrapped up in our own thoughts that the door opening caught us completely off guard. Neither of us reacted in time for an enemy strike. Thankfully, it was just Dorin. Maybe I subconsciously recognized his footsteps. That was what I was going to tell myself. Definitely not that I was distracted by Cezar.
“Umm… we should go…” Dorin warned, moving into the hall with his weapon up. Cezar extended his arm, wordlessly gesturing for me to go first. As we made our way back to wherewe started, I watched Cezar. His experience showed in every step. Everything about how he moved was annoyingly sexy. Controlled. Efficient. He knew exactly what he was doing.
His gun snapped up before I even had time to process it. He fired. A high-pitched yelp sounded from my right. I twisted, and a masked man hit the floor.
Before I could react, Cezar was at my back, one hand around my waist, dragging me with him. My legs were not prepared to move that fast.
His shooting was deliberate and too practiced. It made me wonder how many people he’d killed. How many didn’t deserve it? I had to get rid of the thoughts before they dragged me to a place I didn’t have time to go.
He leaned in close, his breath combing against my ear. “Petal, if I wanted to kill you, I would have back then. Just like you would have…” He laughed.
How the hell could he be so carefree in a situation like this?
Making it back to the rendezvous point, I sat to catch my breath. Of course, Cezar was perfectly fine, acting like we hadn’t just run a fucking marathon. He annoyed me with how effortlessly perfect he was. The rock I’d ended up on was surprisingly comfortable. Dorin was sorting out where all the kids were going and who would be escorting them.
Cezar lifted his pant legs a bit, then squatted in front of me. He barely looked up. The man had as much torso as he did legs. With his fingers interlocked, elbows resting on his knees, he spoke. “That was fun. Not as much fun as I had the other night with you, though.” Before this motherfucker could even think about smirking, I palmed his face and shoved him backward.
His eyes widened. He couldn’t untangle his hands fast enough to catch himself. He hit the ground with a grunt, rolling to his side. “Ah, fuck—what was that for??” He soundedwounded. Like a puppy whose tail I’d just stepped on. So dramatic.
