Page 82 of Smoke and Mirrors

Looking into her eyes, despair still sits in the pit of my stomach, but I need to focus on what’s important. Lily is and always has been my light. And as I look at her now, I know I have to do everything to keep her in my life, to keep her safe. She grounds me, keeps me sane, she stops me from drowning.

“Let’s find somewhere safe to sleep, get cleaned up, and order some food,” I suggest, and she smiles leaning in and embracing me.

“There he is! Welcome back,” she says.

I smile, wrapping my arm around her and start to head back to the car.

Chapter Twenty-Five

LILY

“Where are we going?” I ask Kace as we slowly move through the suburban streets.

It feels good to be back in Washington DC. It’s home. It almost makes me feel like we aren’t on the run anymore. That we’re finally heading home. But we aren’t. We’re far from heading home. The things that Mark had told Kace has opened a whole new world of drama.

I’m floored.

Kace is angry.

I want to soothe him. To bring back the light, I know that this new information has stolen from him, but I’m not quite sure how. It’s a clusterfuck of epic proportions, and we’re settled directly in the middle.

“We’re going to a safe house,” he answers simply, his eyes not moving from the road.

My stomach tightens. “Kace, is that really safe?”

The long growth of stubble on his face fails to cover his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallows. “Luca is the only other person who knows about it.”

I turn my body to face him, staring in awe at the side of his face. “Oh, you mean the same Luca who is trying to kill us? That Luca?”

I see the corner of Kace’s mouth twitch, and while my body seems to relax a little at seeing the show of emotion on his face, my stomach still wants to expel its contents all over the dashboard.

“Whether he’s going to follow through with those orders or not, I need to at least tell him what I know before it happens,” he answers on a sigh. “Then, it will be up to him whether he’s going to do something about it.”

“You just killed the head of The Agency, Kace! Something tells me he isn’t going to sit down with us and have coffee while you explain what’s going on.” I blow out a frustrated breath. “You’re risking our lives on the off-chance that Luca will listen?”

My body jolts as Kace suddenly directs the car off the road and pulls up at the curb. I grip the door as he slams on the breaks, my heart beginning to race. “What?” I ask frantically, looking around, but his eyes are on me only.

His predatory stare pierces my skin. He reaches over and slides his hand over my cheek, threading his fingers through my hair and using it to pull my face closer to his. I move with him, entranced by the deep-hooded look in his eyes. “Listen to me.”

I nod, having to remind myself to breathe. The connection between Kace and I can’t be denied. It’s been there since the start, and no matter what happens, I will spend the rest of my days on the run with him if that’s what it takes to have him in my life.

I’d basically given up on men before Kace invaded my life and refused to leave. Maybe that’s what I need. Maybe I need someone to fight for me, and Kace has done just that. He fought not just to be with me, but he fought for my life. He basically stood between me and a loaded gun.

Was that a sacrifice any man would make? No.

“I will never, let anything happen to you,” he says seriously, his voice full of emotion. “I have markers, people who owe me shit, all over the fucking world. If I have to ship you to Siberia, then I will if it means you’ll continue to breathe.”

I shake my head. “Not if you’re not there, too.”

He snorts. “We’ll see. You’re innocent, Lily. I, on the other hand, deserve everything that’s coming to me.” He leans forward and presses a soft kiss to my lips before turning back to the road and pulling out onto the street again. “If I have to pay for my sins, so be it,” he mumbles.

Anger builds in my stomach, anger at Kace for not being able to see the person he really is inside but, instead, just seeing the monster he was made into without his permission. The villain disguised as a superhero.

I keep my mouth closed as Kace pulls the car into the driveway of a two-story house that’s lit up by the streetlights. It’s cute, an older-style home that’s white with blue shutters.

“Come on,” he says, grabbing the backpack and climbing out of the car. I take a deep breath and follow, walking along the narrow path that’s lined with flowers. Obviously, he has someone maintaining the property.

Kace pulls open a small compartment next to the oversized door and types some numbers on the keypad before shoving it open. Lights begin to flicker on automatically. Kace steps to the side and holds out his arm, gesturing to me to head in first.

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