Page 119 of Burn It Down

More like flying, really.

“Wow, I didn’t think it was possible for Lance “Revenant” Carlyle to exhibit lovesick tendencies,” Asher said.

Aurora grinned as she came to us. “They make a good couple. He’s not so intense when she’s around. She calms him.”

Killian was there snatching up a first-aid kid which he must’ve brought from the kitchen the moment he’d seen them start sparring. He took her hand and eased her onto the bench, then started tending to her. “I can’t imagine that fucker calm,” he muttered. “No offense. I mean, I know he’s your dad and all, but—”

“Believe me, I get. So does he, actually.”

“Well, I’m glad there’s some self-awareness going on there,” Asher commented.

I stroked Aurora’s hair, the side out of Kill’s way as he tended to her lip. “That was a hell of a performance, Princess.”

“It certainly was,” Asher said.

“Wow, even Asher Monroe, the master, is impressed,” Aurora chuckled. “I’m honored.”

“You should be.”

“It was dangerous,” Killian groused.

“It was a fucking turn-on,” Asher countered.

Killian rolled his eyes. “Of course it was for you. Sex and violence go hand-in-hand as far as you’re concerned.”

“Nah, it wasn’t the violence this time. It was Aurora owning her power, not holding back, and giving it her all, showing Lance exactly what she’s made of. The incredible and capable woman she’s worked her ass off to become.”

Kill stilled, taken aback.

“There you go,” I told him. “That’s Asher’s sweet side bleeding through.”

Aurora smiled and leaned forward, planting a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you. That means a lot, especially coming from you.”

He smiled back at her. “Credit where credit is due, sweetheart.” He cupped her nape, stroking softly, a little moan spilling from her lips. “Or, should I say, my little beast?”

She chuckled. “Absolutely.”

Killian finished up with fixing her up. Even though they were just very mild cuts and some minor bruising, he’d had to take care of them.

Although I’d gotten used to it for the most part, seeing him exhibit such love and care, and downright tenderness toward her still took me aback every now and then. After all these years, it was more than a little startling seeing that shit from him. The only time I’d ever witnessed a glimpse of it before was the few times he’d been able to get with his mom. Now that was tainted for him, though, after she’d had him drugged and tried to kidnap him. After she’d tried to take him away from Aurora. And, as we now believed, where she’d willingly let Asher walk to his attempted death, a brother-in-arms to her son, somebody who, although they had their problems, meant a hell of a lot to him, who was an integral part of his life and had been for years.

“Are you doing okay?” he asked Aurora. “With the revelation about your mom?”

“Yeah. I mean, I’ve had a little time to process it.”

“Lance told you while you were with him at his safehouse?” Asher asked.

She nodded. “In an attempt to talk me down from coming back to you guys and immersing myself in this takedown again.” She sighed, then told us, “It only really served to enforce that I needed to be a part of this, to stop her. Somebody out there who’s connected to me in such an irreversible way who could do something like this, be a part of such a twisted and fucked-up group like the Heretics… I can’t let that lie.”

“Trust us,” I said. “We know all about that.”

“Yeah, I know you guys do. You can understand it like no one else.”

“We can,” Asher told her. “And as obvious experts on the matter, we can tell you that what they do, what they are, has absolutely nothing to do with you, who you are, or who you’ll become.”

“He’s right,” Killian said. “It’ll save you years of therapy if you take that in, take it to heart.”

“You guys have been to therapy?” She cracked a smile. “Who was your therapist, the freaking Joker?”

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