“Meeting adjourned,” I call over my shoulder, walking back toward my tent.
Zeus barks and jumps as he follows me while Delilah protests—albeit, halfheartedly—the whole way back to the tent, until I finally set her down in the relative privacy that the canvas offers.
She pushes her wild curls out of her reddened face before shoving me in the chest. “Asshole!”
“You can call me as many names as you want. It won’t change my mind.”
“You’re the one that told me to make my own choice!” she yells. “You don’t get to take that away from me just because you disagree with it.”
“I didn’t think you’d want to risk your life by wanting to spy for the Resistance!” I yell back.
“It’s not your job to protect me.” She shoves me again, harder this time.
I catch her wrists in one hand while my other palm comes up to cradle her waist. Her breath hitches at the contact. “Every person in this camp is my responsibility.” My voice drops. “Including you.Especiallyyou.”
She looks up at me, defiance sparkling in her dark brown eyes. “Why?”
I release her wrists, bringing my hand up to grip her chin gently. “Because you are precious, and you deserve to be treated as such.”
“Maverick,” she whispers, her tone softening. “Please let me do this. Ineedto do this.”
Fuck.I close my eyes, trying to avoid her plea.
“Help me do this. Believe in me.” Her voice is like a siren’s song, one I can’t resist. And besides, she’s right. Ididtell her to choose—to be selfish. Who the hell am I to take that away from her?
I open my eyes. “Okay.”
Her eyebrows shoot up. “Really?”
I nod, catching her just in time as she launches herself into my arms. Her arms lock around my neck and she squeezes tightly while I hold her waist. Her soft frame feels so right pressed against me, like we’re two pieces of a puzzle that fit together perfectly.
“Thank you,” she whispers in my ear.
We both pull away and I set her down, conjuring the most serious face I can manage in light of her excitement. “But, darlin’, we do this on my terms. The training, the planning, the mission. If anything goes wrong, I’ll pull you out without a second thought.”
She nods eagerly, unable to contain her smile. “Your terms.”
I study her, feeling immensely proud despite the anxiety this idea gives me. “What made you change your mind?”
Her smile melts away as she stares up at me, now completely serious. “My time here, the people I’ve met, the stories I’ve heard, even your damn dog and his irresistible charm. But mostly, I realized what the Brotherhood stole from me, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to ensure no one else has to go through that ever again.”
I nod. “Then let’s get to work.”
Delilah
Present Day
“Contraceptives are an affront to nature and therefore forbidden. Any person caught purposefully preventing conception shall be punished accordingly.”— THE ARTICLES OF BROTHERHOOD, N.A.L. 1 § 17
My legs are jello. My arms are burning. And yet, I’m still
standing.
“You can do this, Della. One more time.” Cam’s been pushing me hard all morning, building on what Bec taught me yesterday. They decided we should primarily focus on hand-to-hand since it’s unlikely I’ll need to disarm someone who has a knife or a gun.
I take a deep, centering breath and nod once. Cam rushes me just like they have the last five times. I duck out of the way and waste no time tackling them to the ground. We wrestle, and I put everything I’ve learned into practice until I’ve got them pinned beneath me, my knees on either side of their torso with my forearm pressed against their throat.
Cam smiles, breathing heavily. “Nice work.”
