Page 48 of Cruel Salvation

Damon nodded again, feeling a sense of relief wash over him. He was glad to have Bás’ trust and support, and he knew he would do whatever it took to protect Nazareli and their child, and the rest of their team.

“She’ll be a good mum, but don’t kid yourself into thinking this will be easy. She has a lot of wounds that aren’t healed yet.”

“I know that, and nothing worth having is easy. I don’t want easy. I want her in whatever form that takes.”

Bás folded his arms over his chest and tipped his chin up. “You gonna force her to give up her job?”

Damon was pissed that this man would suggest it, but he didn’t react outwardly. “I’m gonna let her be exactly who she is and do exactly as she pleases, as long as it includes her coming home to me and our child at the end of the day.”

“Good, you clip her wings and you’ll lose her.”

“I have no intention of clipping her wings.”

“Good.”

“Did you give Gideon this lecture, or Sebastian?”

“Not exactly.”

“Then why me?”

“Because Lotus is different to Duchess and Snow. She projects a tough exterior, a hardened shell that at first glance is impenetrable but it’s all a smoke screen. She has a tender heart and it’s been battered enough. Her belief in herself is shallow and I won’t tolerate her being hurt any more than she has already. Lotus needs to fly so she can believe in herself again.”

Damon pondered that for a second, never one to be rushed into a response, but one word kept coming back to him. “Again?”

“What?”

“You said Lotus needs to fly so she can believe in herself again. That implies she ever believed in herself and she didn’t. Her father taught her that she wasn’t valued from such a young age that she’s never believed in herself.”

“Hmm, perhaps that’s true. I hope you can be the man who helps her find it, Damon.”

“She doesn’t need a man to help her find it, she needs to believe it herself and I’m going to stand by her side while she finds it and then I’m going to love her like she deserves.”

Bás’ eyes swept up, in surprise, before he smiled. “I think I underestimated you, Damon.”

“You wouldn’t be the first.”

“No, I don’t suppose I am. After this is over and we have a minute to breathe, I’d like to discuss bringing you on board fully. While we don’t operate within the law, having someone who knows the law and can help us and those we liberate so they can lead new lives would be good.”

Damon was surprised by the offer. “We can talk, but I’d like to spend my time helping the soldiers get justice from the government and the military. They’ve been left to drown, if not for Naz and Smithy, and that isn’t right. They were taken while on duty and nothing was done to help them. They deserve some sort of recompense.”

“Like a class action lawsuit?”

“I was thinking something a little less public but sure, that kind of thing.”

“That’s a good place to focus. Let me know if I can help at all.”

Bás walked him to the door and opened it. “We’re not gonna tell Lotus about this, are we?”

Damon felt his lips spread into a grin. “You scared of my girl, boss man?”

“Fucking terrified, and if you tell her I said that I’ll deny it.”

Damon chuckled as he walked out of the office and Bás peeled off towards the tech room. The man was deadly and yet the woman who purred in his arms like a kitten, had him wrapped around her little finger, much like she did him.

Damon made his way back to the conference room where Lotus was already on the phone with Smithy. He took a seat on the couch next to her and waited for her to finish her call.

“That was fast,” he remarked once she hung up.