Page 12 of Ruin

She’d known him less than a day, had no reason to trust anyone ever after the shit she’d been through, and had seen firsthand what he was capable of.

Would this female ever do anything that made sense?

Lira made a small, contented noise and curled her arm around him.

When was the last time someone sought him out for comfort? Had it ever happened?

Ruin swallowed hard as his hand instinctively found the delicate curve of her waist beneath the covers, fingers splaying wide to draw her fractionally closer.

For all that it was foreign, this closeness felt… right. He hadn't realized how touch-starved he was until that very moment.

Her delicate curves molded to his frame as if they were two missing pieces finally aligned. The soft swells of her breasts against his upper stomach, the smooth tangle of her legs with his, the sweet, sleepy heat of her breath ghosting across his chest.

A strange ache bloomed beneath his ribs as he gazed down at her. Unconsciously, he raised a hand, stroking her cheek with a gentleness that surprised him. Petting her moonspun hair, Ruin marveled at how this waif of a female had brought him to his knees.

Fuck me.

He was in deep shit.

Chapter 5

Lira sat cross-legged on the bed, tracking Ruin's every movement as he strapped an array of wicked-looking weapons onto his body. The sight stirred something deep within her—a heady mix of awe, longing, and a strange sense of safety.

Noticeably absent was any hint of fear.

She’d witnessed firsthand how lethal he was. His towering height and hulking frame, the scars criss-crossing his pale skin, the dark tattoos inked on his head, face, and body—they all lent an aura of danger that should’ve had her trembling.

Yet as she watched the ripple of muscle beneath scarred skin, it wasn’t unease that had her shifting restlessly on the bed.

Cheeks warming, she recalled waking beside him, their bodies intertwined. She'd worried for a moment that he’d push her away. But he’d simply held her tighter, a low rumble vibrating from his chest in a soothing rhythm that lulled her back to a sense of security. Of home.

For the first time, she’d slept peacefully. No nightmares. No jolting awake at every little sound.

Someone would doubtlessly say she was latching onto him because he’d rescued her, that she was merely projecting a desperate need for protection onto the first person who hadn't brought her harm.

Lira knew better.

He made her feel safe, yes. Cared for. Seen. Sensations so unfamiliar, they were dizzying.

But something inside her knew this wasn’t a passing infatuation.

Ruin’s gravelly voice cut into her thoughts. “I need’ta scout the location before my target arrives. Get the layout, mark exits an’ entrances. Assess security.”

She nodded, leaning forward. “Who’s the target?”

“Human male named Gaius.”

She sat up straighter. “I know that name. He’s with some kind of corporation.” Frowning, she muttered, “What was it called?”

“Onyx?”

Her gaze flashed back up to his. “Yes! That’s it. Vargot was making a deal with him.”

Ruin stilled, those pretty yellow eyes boring into her. “What deal?”

“I- I don't know much,” she admitted apologetically. “Just that Vargot knew about a planet with some kind of element he calledveherium. He wanted to trade the location of the planet to Gaius for a lot of credits.”

“So Vargot was the trader Gaius was comin’ here to meet. You know anythin’ about veherium?”

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