Page 15 of Cruel Love

“It’s not bad.” She smiles, hoping to distract me.

It works.

“Don’t worry about Fox,” I tell her. “He’ll come through.”

Lucy shrugs and rests her head on my shoulder. “You trust him. I trust you. That’s good enough for me, you know that.”

I kiss her forehead, lingering there for a long moment so I can fill my nose with her scent. “Thank you.”

“I got nowhere else I’d rather be anyway,” she adds.

“Oh, yeah?”

She slinks closer. “Where else? At home? Sitting there, waiting for you?”

“Not gonna lie,” I say with a smile, “that doesn’t sound terrible.”

“For you, maybe. For me, fuck that shit.”

I twist in her direction and wrap an arm around her athletic waist. Lucy Vaughn. The foul-mouthed dancer from Chicago.

I lay a hand on her warm cheek, gently pushing her brunette hair behind her ear. “Just promise me you’ll be smart,” I say. “Keep your eyes open. Stay by my side. I can’t bear the thought of watching you get hurt... again.”

She kisses the edge of my mouth without saying a word. She doesn’t even need to say anything. My heart pounds in my ears, blocking out the fear and doubt. Lucy’s the only one whose ever been able to remind me that I exist as more than just a hired gun. One taste of her and it was like I was finally able to see the world in color.

Seeing Fox again has tainted me already. Bright hues are fading in my vision, replaced with deep and dull grays. I need Lucy here by my side, not sitting at home. I don’t want to forget what it feels like to see the world as a man really should.

Lucy smiles, igniting a spark in my toes again. “Are you going to go talk to Lilah?” she asks.

“No,” I say. “Think I’ll let Archer handle this one.”

She nods. “He seems good for her.”

“He’s stuck around longer than others, I’ll give him that.”

“You mean he didn’t run away screaming after meeting her scary big brother?”

I chuckle. “Yeah.”

She presses her lips against mine, drawing me even further away from darkness. Her hand rests on my thigh, her fingers gently stroking my leg.

“You should get some sleep,” she whispers.

I kiss her harder, not wanting to let go just yet. We cling to each other as she lies back and spreads her knees. I settle between them, careful not to twist her right leg, as I tower over her small frame.

“Whatever you want, Ms. Vaughn,” I say, brushing my lips against hers.

Chapter 5

Archer

I walk across the parking lot to my trailer on the far side. The door is slightly ajar, meaning Lilah’s so pissed off that she didn’t care to close it or she broke it on the way inside. Either option is equally as likely.

As I approach it, I run a hand along the side to feel for dents or bent metal. Nothing broken. Good. That’s one less thing I have to worry about.

Now, I just have to cool her down.

It’s a demanding chore, though not one I’m unwilling to partake in. My lover just lost the most important person in the world to her. That’s a pain I can’t begin to imagine, nor will I ever attempt to.

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