Page 57 of Too Lethal to Love

“So you think I’m a god?”

“Nice try to distract me with humor, but it won’t work this time.”

No, it wouldn’t, but he couldn’t share the full extent of what he was capable of. If she got captured by Chavez and they questioned what her Project VIPER boyfriend could do…

He squeezed his fingers into fists. “The less you know, the better. Trust me.”

“I do trust you. You put your life before mine last night—twice—and didn’t die. That’s a first.”

“So you trust me to keep you alive, but you don’t trust me not to die?”

She waved a finger. “Oh no you don’t. This isn’t about me. We’re talking about the superpowers you joke about. But are you really joking? Did Scarlett really make you into a cyborg or something?” She shook her head. “God, that sounds as crazy as me being a black widow, but I know what I saw. How is it possible to kill a man without moving an inch?”

And he regretted killing all of them. He should have left one of the bastards alive to interrogate. But mercy, even for the benefit of the greater good, hadn’t been on his mind. Pure anger, fueled by what he’d seen them do to Jenna and what he knew they would do to Beth, fueled the intensity of his V-Strikes.

Beth stared at him, her breath puffing in short pants. “And I know those men didn’t drop dead because their heart stopped beating at the sight of you looking so beautifully deadly.”

His mind stuck on the beautiful part. Only somebody as beautiful as Beth would see that in his lethal body. Right now, he’d die if he didn’t show her how heavenly things could be between them.

No regrets.

He didn’t want not taking a chance to be the biggest, beautiful regret of his life. Now he knew what Scarlett meant when she’d said fight for her. Fighting for Beth’s life had been easy. Fighting for her to believe she wasn’t cursed was the real battle.

“I wish I could tell you about what I did last night and at the liquor store, but?—”

Realization lit her eyes. “You used your cyborg voodoo magic to take down the hoodie guys too? I knew something was off.”

If she was being sarcastic, he’d laugh his ass off at “cyborg voodoo magic,” but she was serious. Short of seeing the V-Strikes stream from his leg, she’d witnessed him at his deadliest. His need to tell her the truth burned his insides. Maybe if she knew how much power flowed through his body, she wouldn’t be afraid he would die. Then again, maybe if she knew the perilous situations he faced because he’d been created to have that power, she’d be even more scared.

He opened his mouth to say that if he told her the truth,he’d have to kill her, but shut it. She didn’t need flippant. She needed honesty, and he wouldn’t lie to her. “I killed those men with my, uh, technology.”

“But you didn’t kill the ones in the liquor store.”

“No, they weren’t trained mercenaries like Chavez’s men.” He sat back on his heels. “They were stupid kids.”

“How did you kill the mercenaries?”

“It’s classified.”

She leaned forward. “Well, declassify it.”

“I don’t have that authority.” His leg jittered, egging him to appease her curiosity.

“I bet Edgar does. He has the clout to make things happen fast ’cause he’s the admiral.”

“It’s not that easy. I don’t even know if he can authorize that.”

She grabbed his wrist. “Use this fancy watch and call him. Or phone home to headquarters or whatever the hell lingo you use. Or maybe write a letter to Santa. It’s Christmas Eve, for Christ’s sake. I deserve a present after all I’ve been through. You told me back at my townhome that I’m part of the VIPER family since Scarlett is my bestie, but I’m not. I’m treated like the weird out-of-town cousin who’s staying for a week and has to follow everyone else’s schedule.” She looked around the sparse living space. “And would it kill VIPER to at least put a Christmas tree somewhere? There is nothing festive about white walls and worn furniture.”

Desire spread in his core. God, she was gorgeous when she was worked up. “You’re right. You do deserve a present, but I can’t give you that.” He’d be asking Edgar for permission to reveal not just his secrets but the team’s as well.

She crossed her arms over her chest. “It’s only fair that you tell me your secrets since I told you mine.”

He’d gladly share if he could, but his superpowers weren’t the only secret he was keeping. Sometime during thisconversation, everything he’d been questioning about his relationship beliefs boiled down to one truth. If Beth knew they both feared his demise, but for different reasons, she’d never let go of her black widow belief.

He touched her leg and rubbed a slow circle above the cut he’d bandaged last night. “I can’t share that one. Pick something else you want to know.”

Beth blurted the most logical response she could think of. “Take your pants off.”

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