Page 96 of My Vigilante Valentine

Reading me.

Pride swelled in my chest as she blocked a series of strikes, her movements fluid where they’d once been hesitant. She might not have my speed or strength, but she had something else.

Heart.

Hyperfocus.

And a stubborn streak a mile wide that I was basically addicted to.

“Better,” I said as she successfully countered another attack. “Much better.”

She beamed, practically glowing. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” I lowered my hands, signaling a break. “You’re a quick study.”

She grabbed a water bottle from the corner, taking a long drink before flashing me a grin. “Well, I have a good teacher. Plus, I’m very motivated.”

I smirked. “To learn self-defense?”

She met my eyes without hesitation. “To make you proud.”

And that hit harder than any punch ever could. My stomach clenched as if it’d been a physical blow, well-placed and too fastto dodge. Because of all the things I expected to hear from her today, that wasn’t one of them.

People didn’t say things like that to me. They didn’twantmy approval. Didn’t look up to me. Didn’t see me as something worth admiring.

Sure, some people admired The Blade.

They idolized the idea of the comic book hero who selflessly saved the city one bad guy at a time.

The guy who rarely used the swords on his back for anything other than intimidation.

The guy who left criminals gift-wrapped for the police instead of killing them, like they would if they had his skills, in the ultimate show of mercy.

But me? Jax, as the man?

I’d spent every day since the accident hiding behind my blades, soaking up the criminals’ mindset that I was something other than human—worthy only of being feared, underestimated, or avoided entirely.

Even before The Blade, I was a Marine. But in my unit, with what we did? I was just one weapon in a group of others just like me. Part of a unit that got sent in to do the things other people didn’t want to do, and only to be discharged after one wrong move.

And now, here was Luna—who had crashed into my world like a supernova—saying she wanted me to be proud of her like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Like I was someone worth that.

She didn’t even know what she’d just done to me.

Didn’t know that she’d just lodged herself so deep into my bones that there was no coming back from it.

She trusted me, and I trusted her, too.

I crossed the space between us in two strides, cupping her face in my hands. She gasped softly at the suddenness of it, but Ijust held her there, thumbs stroking the tops of her cheeks, still trying to absorb the weight of what she’d just said.

“You don’t have to prove anything to me.”

“I know. But I want to. Not just for you, but for me. For the team.”

I exhaled slowly, my thumb brushing against her cheek. “I love you.”

Her smile was instant—bright enough to rival the sun. “I know.”

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