Page 106 of Silver Fire

Was it because Justin had touched her intimately and had connected with her in some way? No. It was simply because she premeditated killing him. Somehow Sophie knew that the only way she could be free of Justin was if he was dead. The dam that was holding her tears at bay all evening finally broke as she sank to the floor, hugging her knees and sobbed. The events of the past few days: Derek with Layla, Taggart dead, Beth stabbed, killing Justin and building the zefinium bomb assaulted her mind like relentless flashcards. Minutes passed, and she was turning into a prune. Her sobs had reduced to dry heaving.

“Sophie?”

She watched Derek’s opaque form tentatively enter the bathroom. He saw her pitiful shape through the steamed up shower glass.

“Christ!Sophie,” Derek slid the shower door open and walked in fully clothed. He turned off the water and crouched down beside her. “Angel, are you OK?”

“Do I look OK?” Sophie snapped angrily. “I don’t know why killing Justin affected me more than killing the men at the lab? I don’t know if killing him outright was the right thing to do.”

Derek clenched his jaw hard before saying, “That bastard deserved it, Sophie. Do not regret it. You saved Beth too. You were not just saving yourself.”

He hauled her to her feet and brought her out of the shower. Toeing off his soaked shoes, he grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her. He leaned forward and lifted her, carrying her to the bedroom and laying her on the bed.

“I’m going to get the bed wet.”

“You think I give a damn?” Derek said angrily.

“Why are you acting as if you’re mad at me?” Sophie asked.

“Because you’re having doubts about killing Bishop!” Derek was shouting now. “Have you forgotten he killed Polly? He tortured Beth to force you to build a bomb that could kill thousands.” He paused, his eyes glittering with murderous rage. “He fucking nearly raped you!”

Derek spun away from her, his head bowing low, one hand on his hip and another rubbing his forehead. The muscles under his shirt bunched with tension.

Sophie got off the bed and approached him, touching his shoulder. “Derek—”

With a guttural sound, Derek hauled her into his arms, crushing her so tightly against his chest. She encircled his hips tentatively; his face was buried in the curve of her neck.

“God Sophie, I was close to losing my fucking mind,” Derek said hoarsely. “Imagining Bishop’s hands on you, that he would do to you what he did to Polly…I don’t think I can bear to let you out of my sight again.”

“Derek—”

“So you can forget about needing time to think us over, because I’m not giving it to you,” he stated quietly. He nuzzled the length of her jaw before tentatively brushing her lips, as if seeking permission to kiss her. Sophie opened her lips beneath his and his tongue slipped through gently but deeply. She was acutely aware that the towel had fallen to the floor and she was naked pressed against him.

Ending the kiss reluctantly, he muttered, “I need a shower too.”

He pulled back further and took in her nakedness. His eyes were heated and filled with longing. He finally tore his gaze away and picked up the towel on the floor and wrapped it around her. “Go get ready, Angel. We leave in half an hour.”

Sophie felt a measure of relief. Justin had not left any lasting fear of physical intimacy. She definitely felt desire, but more than lust, she reveled in the comforting cocoon of Derek’s arms.

* * *

“You should have lethim kill me,” Beth whispered. Sophie had her friend put in a private room. The surgeon had cleaned the wound and removed infected tissue. Right now her friend was pumped full of antibiotics and some pain meds, so Sophie was ignoring any crazy words or speeches that might tumble out of Beth’s mouth.

“Uh-huh, as if I’d like to see you get stabbed to death,” Sophie retorted.

“I don’t know, Sophie. I can’t even look at you right now,” Beth said, turning her head away from her.

“What?”

Her friend sighed. “You built a weapon of mass destruction because of me.”

“Are you blaming me or you?”

“Both.”

Sophie looked at her friend who was right now staring up at the ceiling. Beth had always been her protector, her anchor, the person who always gave her confidence whenever she doubted herself, and the person who couldn’t ever stay mad at her.

“Beth, how can you say that?” Sophie asked incredulously. “If the roles were reversed, wouldn’t you have done the same?”

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