Page 24 of Don't Let Go

“Good to know I’ve got some skills.” The wry observation earned a snort from him this time.

“Don’t play the pity party anthem,” he retaliated. “You have all the skills. You know how to hack into systems old and new. You are creative in finding solutions that would never have occurred to me and you’re rather honorable.”

Heat warmed my face and I was glad for the fact it was still dark enough to hide it. Keeping my gaze turned out the window, I couldn’t help checking the side mirror a few dozen times.

“Hey, don’t retreat on me now. I need you to keep me awake.”

“What?” I twisted to look at him. The charming asshole wore another smile.

“Made you look.”

“You’re twelve.” It came out a huff.

“No,” he said. “At twelve, I lacked the imagination I have now. I also couldn’t maintain a boner for hours with no relief. Not to mention I had zero appreciation for how fucking sexy a smart woman’s brain is.”

Fresh heat flooded my face. “Stop it.”

“Stop what?” It was like playing a dangerous game of verbal dodgeball and he kept spiking the damn ball.

“Stop flirting,” I said, rubbing a hand over my face. I was probably bright red.

“No can do, Fallon.”

The jolt of my real name chased away some of the embarrassment. It probably shouldn’t be so weird to hear. Even more when it seemed to imply an intimacy we shouldn’t be sharing.

Then again…

“You get that Remy isn’t the only one interested, right?” The sudden subject change threatened to give me whiplash.

“We’re talking about that now?” The words came out way more defensive than I meant for them too.

“No,” he said slowly, elongating that one syllable. “We don’t have to,however, I think we should.”

My stomach sank. At least the reality of it acted like a splash of cold water on my earlier awkwardness. “Maybe we shouldn’t.”

“Running away?” It wasn’t a taunt. Everything in his tone said it wasn’t a taunt. But there was no escaping the fact he was calling me on my bullshit.

“Maybe,” I admitted, stealing a look at him before I studied the road ahead. “I’m scared for them. I still don’t remember the past few weeks or however long it’s been. I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I keep waking up to McQuade in my bed and the fact that Remy kissed me this morning.”

“I get that,” he said easily enough. “I also get that avoiding a discussion isn’t going to make this any easier for any of us, especially not now.”

“Now that what? We’re on the run? Again?”

“We were on the run before.” He had a point. “There’s a time for playing coy. This isn’t that.”

I sighed. “I know.” As much as I would rather avoid the more uncomfortable topics, especially with us on the road and no idea of how the guys were doing… “I’m not a coward.”

“Fallon… Patch… Hey,” he added the same stress of care to each name. “The verylastthing I would ever label you as would be coward. The word doesn’t even belong in the same hemisphere you occupy.”

“Except—”

“No. No excuses or caveats. None. You are brave as hell. Braver, I think than anyone could have realized. I mean, I certainly had no idea just how much of a badass you are.” Heshook his head. “You’re not a coward. You are, however, in a difficult position.”

I sighed. “You saw Remy kissing me.”

“Yep.” No judgment lived in his voice. “Saw you kissing him back too.”

More heat swept through me. That kiss had been… soul stealing. I hadn’t even really had time to process it or the fact I’d forgotten about where we were or even what we were doing there when Locke appeared to interrupt us.

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