Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 66480 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66480 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
The door clicked open behind me. I straightened just before Wren's sweet scent hit me. She slipped inside and closed the door, leaning against it for a moment before flipping the lock.
"You okay?" she asked, her voice softer than it had been in the main room.
"Just needed a minute." I watched her cross the small space, her combat boots surprisingly quiet on the worn floorboards. "You shouldn't be here, Wren. Your dad's gonna lose his shit."
She shrugged, perching on the edge of the desk, close enough that her knee nearly touched mine. "He's lost it so many times this week, I don't think he has any shit left to lose."
That pulled a tired laugh from me despite everything. I looked up at her, taking in the purple hair falling across her eyes, the determined set of her jaw, the way she watched me with a mix of concern and something deeper I didn't dare put a name to.
“I’m sorry I hurt you, Wren. Sorry I put you in danger. Sorry I started things with you under false pretenses.” I reached for her hand but stopped myself, unsure if the contact would be welcome. "I don't regret targeting you, though. I only regret not giving you the full truth from the outset so you could make your own choices.”
Wren surprised me by closing the distance herself, placing her hand over mine where it rested on the desk. Her fingers felt cool against my skin, grounding me in a way nothing else could.
"I hate that you put your operation at risk to save me," she said, her green eyes locked on mine, "but I really appreciate not dying."
A ghost of a smile crossed my face as my fingers turned to interlace with hers. "I'd do it again in a heartbeat."
"I need you to focus on tonight. On getting those girls out, on getting yourself out in one piece." She leaned closer, her free hand coming up to brush against my jaw. "I'll be here waiting when you get back. And if you get hurt, I may well kill you myself."
The fierceness in her voice made something in my chest twist. I turned my face into her touch, pressing my lips to her palm. "I always knew you were dangerous."
"You have no idea," she murmured.
I pulled her closer, needing her warmth, her solidness, the proof that at least one thing in this fucked-up situation remained real and true. She came willingly, sliding from the desk into my lap, her arms wrapping around my neck. I buried my face in the curve where her shoulder met her neck, breathing her in.
"Tell me something," she said against my hair. "If tomorrow goes exactly as planned, what happens after?."
The question hit a nerve I'd been avoiding. "I don't know," I admitted. "Vittorio might have another assignment waiting. He always does."
She pulled back enough to look at my face, her expression suddenly guarded. "Another undercover job?"
"Maybe. It's what I do, Wren."
Something flashed in her eyes. Hurt, maybe? Or resignation. "For how long? Another eight months? A year? More?"
I took her face in my hands, needing her to understand. "This isn't just a job. These girls, what the Copperheads do to them... I've seen it up close. I can't walk away knowing there are more out there. I’m hoping Vittorio can find something I can do to help from the outside. I’ve still got my contacts in Nevada. That’s where most of our attention is focused right now."
"And us?" she asked, her voice dropping to nearly a whisper. "Where do we fit into that crusade?"
"I don't have all the answers." I pressed my forehead to hers. "But I know that for the first time in years, I'm thinking about a future beyond the next assignment, Wren. Because of you."
She closed her eyes, her lashes dark against her cheeks. Two tears fell from her eyes, tracking down her cheeks. "I'm scared," she confessed, the words so quiet I almost missed them. "Of letting myself believe in this, in us, and then watching you disappear into another life with another name and another woman."
The raw honesty of her words hit harder than any accusation. I kissed her, gentle at first, then with growing intensity as she responded. Her fingers dug into my shoulders, holding on like I might vanish if she let go.
When we broke apart, both breathing hard, I could only offer the truth. "Listen to me, Wren. Listen good. I’m not leaving you. I will work something out with Vittorio. This is something I’ll always do, but I will figure out a way to do my part and not be away from you. And just so you know, there will never be another woman for me. Ever."
She nodded against my forehead. "Just come back alive. We'll figure out the rest."