A muscle in Reagan’s jaw twitched. Her eyes narrowed. “I didn’t walk out of Mordecai’s cage to walk into yours.”
Just like that, panic crushed me. Her words jarred my bones, collapsing my rib cage. Exposed my raw and bleeding heart. A cage. She thought I’d put her in a cage. Had I? What was I doing? Screwing everything up, as usual. I would lose her if I didn’t get this right. The urge to hide my deepest emotions raged within me, but she needed to hear them. See them. Because if I left her in the dark—if I didn’t open up—why was I even pursuing her?
“You’re right,” I said, voice strained. I glanced away. Looking into her eyes, so full of anger and confusion and hurt—I couldn’t get the words out if I held her stare. “I’ve been trying to put you in a little box. I can’t bear the thought of you getting hurt, so in order to protect you, I tucked you away for safekeeping. But that’s . . . that’s not how I want to treat you, like you’re this fragile thing that can’t take care of herself. I know you can.”
I relaxed my grip on her arm, sliding my fingers down to hers. Laced them together. When she didn’t pull away, my eyes began to burn. I heaved a sigh, locking my gaze on hers. “You can come on the mission. You’re needed and wanted. But . . . but if something happens to you, I don’t know what I’ll do, and—”
I searched her blue and gold eyes, hoping for answers. Finding none. My final words were barely a whisper. “It hurts to think of losing you.”
She scanned my face for a moment, then exhaled a long breath. “Oh, Tarik. I’ll be fine. No, don’t look at me like that. I’ll be fine because I have you at my side. We make a good team. Isn’t that the point?”
“A team.” I nodded, swallowing roughly as a new emotion punched my gut. Determination. “I won’t fail you tonight, Reagan. Even if we’re walking into a trap, I’ll get you out of there alive. And I know you’d do the same for me.”
The truth in those words still staggered my mind. But as she looked at me, the hurt and anger melting away, all too willing to forgive, I knew there was still one thing left undone. Watching her reaction carefully, I slid my free hand behind her neck. My heart pounded out of control. I didn’t know if the timing was right. I didn’t know if she wanted this, but . . . “I owe you something,” I said softly.
Her throat bobbed. “What could you possibly owe me?”
Through the tremor in my voice, I managed to say, “A kiss. That I stole. I want to give it back.”
Reagan’s breath hitched. After a moment, she whispered, “You have to catch me first.” Her grip on my fingers loosened as mischief sparked in her eyes.
Before she could escape, I captured her lips with my own. She stilled and I focused on her mouth. Soft. And utterly perfect.
This.
I belonged here.
And here I would stay.
I wrapped an arm around her, drawing her to me, and she came willingly. When she dug her fingers into my hair, bringing me close, closer, my heart exploded. She couldn’t get enough either.
My blood warmed, raging hot, hotter as her mouth moved against mine, tentative, teasing. I mirrored the movements, then grasped her hair, tipping her head back. She moaned and I almost lost control, almost went too fast. I wanted her, every last tattooed inch of her, but I knew she wasn’t ready. So I slowed, rolling my tongue along her bottom lip—soft, then hard as I found her metal lip ring.
Bad idea.
I immediately became addicted to her taste and wanted more. I growled against her mouth, asking, pleading. She opened and I swept my tongue inside, seeking hers. When they touched, the world ceased to exist. She became my world. I explored her and she let me, gasping softly when my teeth grazed her lip.
“Tarik, are you out here, man?”
I broke the kiss, barely, brushing my lips against hers. She pushed upward, asking for more. I groaned softly and gave in, lowering my head.
“We have to go, Tarik. So if you’re out here doing things, finish up now. We’re leaving in five.” I heard Malachi snicker, followed by a hoot from Micah. I was going to kill them.
I inched back. When I met Reagan’s gaze, she looked as lost as I felt. “We’re not done here. Once this mission is over, we’re picking up where we left off.”
She nodded mutely, slipping her bottom lip between her teeth. Nibbling. Crap. We needed to go. The timing was terrible, though. What I wouldn’t give to spend the rest of the night out here with her.
Soon, I promised myself.
After this mission, things would change. And maybe, just maybe, we would earn ourselves more moments like this.
—
A few seconds after we were safely inside Mordecai’s downstairs study, Reagan appeared with a golden key.
Rebel Leader motioned for her to open the hidden armory, and we—Caspar, Akeno, the twins, and I—watched as Reagan approached the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves lining the room’s inner left wall. Flipping a book open, she inserted the key. Click. The whole shelf-back cracked open. Caspar and Akeno swung it wide, careful not to let the hinges squeal.
Inside was a whole new dimension. A dangerous one. The rectangular room was top to bottom white, but peppering that white was row upon row of silver and black glittering weapons. Rebel Leader gestured at us to grab what we could comfortably carry, nothing more. We still had to collect the Genesis Crystal, and that was far more important than basic technology.
Nevaeh hadn’t come on this mission, neither had Flynn, Sebastian, or Elias who were left to guard the Safehouse. The responsibility would be good
