Page 152 of Cruel Lies

I stared up into his eyes, forgetting how to breathe as he panted above me. Adrenaline raced through our veins, pupils dilated, fear slowly ebbing to make way for?—

—laughter.

"Ha. Haha. Hahahahaha . . . "

We devolved into a fit of unhinged chuckles and gasps, his weight atop me grounding me in the moment, crushing the wind out of me, but I didn’t care. I covered my face with my hands and groaned into them, smiling despite myself.

"We’re gonna have to stop meeting like this," he teased, flashing his bright smile at me.

"Yeah," I agreed, smiling right back. "Nash will get jealous if you keep trying to kill me every time we’re together."

"Not every time," he muttered, lowering his lips to mine. "Just once every seven years."

FIFTY-NINE

ANGEL

"Is there permanent damage, Surgeon?"Rowan leaned over my shoulder and poked gently atthe scar tissue as the Surgeon studied it through his bifocals.

"Move, boy, you’re in my light," he muttered in annoyance, slapping Rowan on the forehead with the back of his hand. "Looks pretty well healed, actually. I don’t think you’re gonna have any issues going forward." His eyes lifted to mine, the seriousness heavy in them. "You got lucky, man." His gaze dragged across the room slowly, following my line of sight as I stared at the person I took that bullet for. "But not as lucky as her, I reckon."

"I’d do it all over again to save her," I muttered, making the slightly older man chuckle.

I would, too. I’d take every bullet life fired her way if that was what it took to wake up to that fucking woman every day.

I’d been too stubborn to let myself enjoy it. To admit to myself and her that I’d never stopped loving her. That I’d fallen for her in the first place.

Taking that bullet felt like the only way I could show her what I really felt inside.

I couldn’t get out of my own way. I had to put my life on the line to break through the fucking shell I’d crammed myself into. What a fucking mess.

It was worth it, though.

"Any lifting restrictions? Kinda hard to do solo jobs if I can’t lift over twenty pounds."

"Nah, you’re good, as long as it doesn’t hurt. Obviously, listen to your own body." He blinked down at his watch, taking my pulse for good measure. "So, you tell her how you feel yet?"

I watched Rowan as he stepped away to give us privacy to chat, fiddling with the button at the end of my sleeve to buy myself some time.

No, I hadn’t told her yet. Sure, she probably knew. The wholedie-for-youthing was a dead giveaway. But unlike the other two, our relationship was still a bit . . .tame.

I shook my head, and the other man frowned.

We were more like roommates with an undeniable attraction than two people in love.

I planned to change thatvery soon.Liketodaysoon.

"A question, if I may, man to man?" I turned to the Surgeon with wariness, far more embarrassed about this than I should be at my age. "Am I able to . . . I mean, can I?—"

"Are you seriously asking me if you can have sex?" He blinked slowly, watching me with a smirk. "Boy, if your dick works, you could have had sex weeks ago."

My jaw went slack. "Weeks ago?"

Well, shit.

Surgeon zipped up his bag and shook my hand, dragging a promise to take it easy on myself from between gritted teeth. "Don’t be stupid anymore, Blackwood. No more bullets, no more knives to the chest, no more house calls. I’m starting to get tired of seeing your ugly mugs."

"I’ll keep them on the straight and narrow; don’t worry," Harper called out, making me smile. She was adorable, thinking she could keep any of us contained. But Nash especially. That girl could spend her whole life herding him like a cat, and she’d still likely lose that battle.

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