Page 96 of Falcon's Prey

“I don’t know. I’ve never felt like this before. So content with myself. I feel like something is going to happen to fuck it all up.”

I wrapped one of my hands across her waist. “Not if I can help it.”

“You didn’t even get the money for that fight.” She looked so worried, what had happened to her wasn’t even on her mind.

As she finished drying, I went to the drawer, pulling out a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt for her to wear. I needed to get her clothes.

“We got the money,” I told her.

She gave me a skeptical look as she reached for the clothing.

“I knew Zeke was never going to let me keep the money I won. So while I made slow bets, Pam was working the room. It’s why we stayed on the same table the whole night. Make him think I was too cocky, too sure, and let the game come to me, while Pam got everything we needed. In the end, I guess we should thank G. He offered a distraction, and Pam slipped right out.”

She opened her mouth, then closed it right away.

“Having G threw me off a bit. They got me before I could get us out of there.”

She was quiet as she dressed. While she did that, I went to the bed and pulled the mattress up and reached for the object I had stored there a year ago.

“You can’t hide things from me. Everyone always lies thinking I’m too dumb to handle it or it doesn’t concern me. My life is in the balance here too, and I think that deserves full transparency.”

“Ember, you’re not going to die. I’ll make sure of that.”

Even if it was the last thing I did. Maybe she was some sort of fucked-up redemption to even the scales.

“No secrets,” I lied.

There were some things I wouldn’t tell her, not when knowing could put her in harm’s way. I walked up to the edge of the bed and sat down, giving my muscles some relief.

“How are your ribs?” she asked as soon as she same me wincing.

“Okay, for now. Pam wrapped them earlier.” It was hard to hold my laugh at her murderous glare when I mentioned Pam’s name.

“How nice of her,” Ember mumbled.

“Would it make you feel better to know that while she wrapped me, she saw how fucking scratched my back was and the bite marks you left on my shoulders?”

Ember’s face lit up with a wicked smile. My back had burned when I’d taken a hot shower. I wasn’t the only one inflicting pain last night.

“It does make me feel a little better. But next time, I can do it.”

“You know how to wrap a rib?” I raised my eyebrow at her.

“No, but you do. You can teach me.” She smiled at me, but it wasn’t sweet. It was a warning.

I reached out for her, bringing her body between my legs.

“I need to do some things with Gideon, so I won’t be around much. It should take one or two days, but I’ll make sure you’re taken care of.”

I grabbed the plate of food that was next to me and handed it to her. It was nothing special, just a breakfast sandwich since I noticed she was fond of them.

“What am I supposed to do? Just stay here and listen to Pam call me names? It’s starting to feel like I’m a prisoner.”

Slowly I got up, my hand going to her nape. She had yet to notice I clutched her diamonds in them. I brought my other hand around and put the choker on her neck. I heard her small surprised gasp, but ignored it as I worked the clasp.

“You didn’t get rid of it…”

“It was the only thing of you I had,” I confessed.

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