Page 146 of Promises in the Dark

“You have no idea what you do to me, do you?” I asked, my voice almost a whisper.

She didn’t say anything, but her breath hitched, her eyes searching mine. And then, just like that, everything else fell away. The anger, the frustration, the fear—all of it was swallowed up by this intense, undeniable pull between us.

My head was a mess, and she was right there, too close and too perfect.

Without thinking, I closed the gap between us in one quick motion. One second, I was just glaring at her, fuming with frustration. The next, my hand was on the back of her neck, pulling her in.

I didn’t give her time to react. Before she could say another word, I yanked her closer, and kissed her. Hard. My lips crashed against hers, swallowing whatever curse or insult she was about to throw at me. Her fists balled against my chest, as if she wanted to push me away, but instead, she pulled me closer.

Her hands gripped my jacket, and she trembled against me, kissing me back just as fiercely, like she’d been waiting for this as much as I had.

I felt the heat of her breath, the softness of her lips, and it was like a goddamn explosion in my brain. I slid my tongue against hers, demanding and fervent, feeling her response in the way she kissed me back. It wasn’t gentle. It wasn’t slow. It was fierce and insatiable, driven by something primal and uncontrollable.

I bit her lip, just enough to make her gasp, and that sound—it nearly drove me over the edge. I wanted more.Neededmore. My fingers tangled in her hair as I kissed her deeper, hungrier, taking everything she gave, devouring every little sound she made. It was a collision of everything I’d been trying to keep at bay, all of it channeled into this fucking kiss.

But then, as quickly as it had started, reality came crashing back. The sound of footsteps, the distant voices of my team still doing their job. I didn’t want to stop. Hell, I couldn’t. But as my tongue traced the seam of her lips, ready to deepen the kiss, I heard a sharp voice cut through the haze.

I pulled away, breathless, my forehead resting against hers for a second before I stepped back.

“Rogue!” Raven’s voice hit me like a bucket of cold water. I turned to see her jogging toward us, her expression serious. “We need to find shelter. Now.”

Before either of us could say anything, the woman Red had been treating earlier approached us. She was older, her face worn from years of hard living, but her eyes were sharp. She looked between me and Red, probably sensing the tension, but she didn’t comment on it. Instead, she spoke in her broken English, quiet but cautious.

“I... live in, uh... a place,” she started, struggling for the right words. “Not church... but... similar. Holy place.”

I frowned, trying to figure out what the hell she was getting at. A mosque, maybe? Didn’t really matter.

“Five rooms,” she continued, holding up her fingers like I couldn’t fucking count. “Big enough. My husband... family. We live there,” she hesitated, her eyes darkening with sorrow. “My family... killed. By...” She trailed off, pointing toward the body of the asshole we just put down.

I tensed, instantly on edge. “Who was he?” I asked, my voice flat.

The old woman spat on the ground, disgust twisting her face.

“He was a monster. He... controlled this village. For long time. Hurt many people.”

She looked back at me, her eyes filled with something like gratitude. “You killed him. You got us food. You freed us.”

I glanced at Raven, who was standing a few feet away with her arms crossed, listening in. Pyro and Viper were close by, looking as wiped out as I felt. We were short on everything—food, water, ammo. And we had no fuel. Staying put wasn’t exactly a great option, but we didn’t have much of a choice.

I motioned for Raven, Pyro, and Viper to come over, and they gathered around, forming a small circle as we discussed our next move.

“Thoughts?” I asked, glancing at each of them.

“We’ve got nothing,” Pyro said, rubbing the back of his neck. “No fuel, barely any supplies. We need to rest and regroup.”

Raven nodded, her usual sharpness dulled by exhaustion. “We can’t go anywhere without fuel, and we’re not in any shape to fight off another attack.”

Viper shrugged, his usual cocky attitude nowhere to be seen. “It’s better than sitting out here in the open. At least in there, we’ll have some cover.”

I exhaled, weighing the shitty options. We were screwed either way, but the mosque was our best shot for now.

“Fine,” I said, nodding toward the woman. “Lead the way.”

She smiled, though it was a sad, weary smile, and motioned for us to follow her. The rest of the team fell in behind her, boots kicking up dust as we made our way toward the old mosque.

As we started to walk, I caught a glimpse of Red, trailing just a few steps behind me. I was still pissed, but then I noticed her slipping that necklace back around her neck, the one her dad gave her. The way her fingers gently clasped it, a small smile spreading across her face, like it meant everything. And for just a second, she smiled, this small, innocent grin that didn’t belong in this fucked-up world.

And fuck me, something tightened in my chest. Maybe it was pride, or maybe it was just relief.

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