Page 156 of Promises in the Dark

And I hated myself for not being able to let her go.

Her fingers ghosted along my arm, leaving goosebumps in their wake. She didn’t say anything, just took in what I told her. No pity, no further questions—just understanding.

Fuck, I didn’t deserve her. Not even close.

“Well, thank you for telling me your story,” she said, leaning in to press a soft kiss to my lips. “I know that wasn’t easy.”

I gave her a nod, thankful she left it at that. Last thing I needed was to dig up more of the crap I buried deep.

She shifted closer, her breath warm against my skin, and I knew I was in too deep. This wasn’t just some casual fuck. This was something that could get both of us killed. But I wasn’t thinking about the consequences.

I was thinking about her.

Part of me wanted to push her away, slam up those walls that usually kept me safe. But another part, a part I barely recognized, wanted to let her in.

“You know,” she murmured, sitting up slightly so she could look at me better. “I actually think that ‘Rogue’ suits you.”

I let out a short, rough laugh, some of the tension easing off my shoulders. “Yeah? Well, don’t get used to it. I might decide to change it again tomorrow.”

She grinned, settling back against my chest, her head tucked under my chin. “As long as you don’t expect me to call you ‘Captain Badass’ or something equally ridiculous, I think we’ll be okay.”

I snorted, wrapping my arms around her. “Please. I’ve got way better taste than that. How about ‘His Royal Highness, Lord of All Badassery’?”

Her laugh rumbled against my chest, and for a minute, just a fucking minute, I forgot about all the shit waiting for us outside this room. Right now, this was enough. This connection, this moment of peace in the eye of the storm.

I was gonna enjoy the hell out of this. The goodbye. The end. Whatever the fuck it was.

Because when it came to Red and me, it was always a goodbye.

And tonight? Tonight, I was gonna make sure it was one hell of a good one.

Even if I knew it couldn’t last.

Chapter 41

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And it didn’t.

A sharp crack split the air. Gunshot. Close. Too fucking close.

We both jumped like we’d been fucking electrocuted, our eyes meeting in a moment of shared panic.

“What the fuck?” I hissed, already reaching for my gun and scrambling to pull on my clothes.

Red was on her feet in an instant, already dressed and ready. “Roof,” she said tersely.

“Stay close,” I muttered, and we darted out of the room.

We didn’t waste time with words. In this line of work, hesitation got you killed. We flew up the stairs two at a time, footsteps thundering in the stairwell. As we burst out onto the roof, the scene that greeted us was pure chaos.

Raven and Viper were squaring off, both red-faced, shouting at each other like maniacs. Raven’s hand was on her sidearm, and Viper’s rifle was still smoking.

Fuck me, this was bad.

“What the hell were you thinking, you psychotic bastard?” Raven was screaming, her hand hovering dangerously close to her holstered weapon.

Viper’s eyes were wide, his hands raised in a placating gesture.

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