Page 100 of Retaliation

“It is from when I knew my life would never be the same again after meeting you.”

“You kept it?” she whispered, a million emotions flooding to the surface, threatening to spill from her eyes.

“Of course I did. The moment I laid eyes on you at that event, I knew you were a comet on a collision course with my heart. Your whole presence drew me in like a magnet. And when you grabbed my hand to shove that glass into it, I was done for.”

All she could do was stare up at him. She had no words, no rational part of her brain to form coherent thoughts.

Scorpion leaned in, and their lips met in the softest, most passionate kiss she had ever experienced. Every ounce of pain, of regret, of anything negative in this world disappeared the moment their lips melted together, and she got lost in his warmth.

Pulling back, he broke the kiss, leaving her feeling cold, empty, and longing for more. No, not longing but needing more.

“Let me fix you something to eat,” he said as he stood, but she tugged him gently back to her.

“I’m sorry for everything,” she whispered, staring into those endless galaxy-eyes of his.

THIRTY FIVE

Poison was engulfed by an overwhelming sense of paralysis, and she gasped for air, but her lungs refused to cooperate. Darkness enveloped her vision, rendering her blind to the world around her. The deafening silence drowning out any semblance of sound left her trapped in a terrifying void of sensory deprivation. Every nerve screamed with numbness, stripping away her ability to feel anything but an all-consuming dread.

The darkness called her and beckoned her to take its hand, whispering her name over and over again.

Poison. Poison. Poison.

“Poison,” the voice whispered, grabbing her shoulder. “Poison.”

Her eyes flew open as she sucked in a deep, lifesaving breath.

It was just a dream. The overwhelming darkness was nothing more than a fabrication of her unconscious mind, and it was Scorpion calling her name.

“It was just a dream,” he whispered against her hair as he pulled her against his chest. “I’m here. I’m right here.”

She melted against his heat, her ear pressed against the rapid thumping of his heart. His white t-shirt that she was wearing, clung to every cold-sweat covered part of her body.

“Your heart,” she whispered, placing a hand on his chest, feeling his breathing and heart rate slowing down. “Are you okay?” she whispered, closing her eyes and listening to the thumping until it was even again.

He let out a low laugh. “Me? I should be asking you that.”

“I’m okay now,” she answered, pushing the dream from her thoughts.

“I couldn’t get you to wake up,” he stated, breathing a deep sigh, and her heart broke at the helplessness in his voice. “Want to talk about it?”

She shook her head against his chest, guilt gripping her heart.

“I’m sorry for waking you up.”

She untangled herself from his arms and sat upright, surprised at the small amount of pain she felt.

Scorpion had made sure she had stayed in bed the whole weekend, waiting on her hand and foot. He would have fed her after cutting her food into bite-size pieces if she hadn’t stopped him.

She had seen the flash of guilt across his face every time he stole a glance at her, and no matter how she had tried to convince him that she was the one to feel guilty, it was to no avail.

Pulling her legs up, she placed her tender ankle in a comfortable position as she hugged her knees to her chest, her cast resting awkwardly on them.

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” he said with a sad smile as he traced circles on the side of her exposed thigh. “Your nightmares, do they happen often?”

She returned his sad smile with a nod.

“When did they start?” His question was full of with concern.

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