Page 29 of Bound By Valor

“Are you serious? Wasn’t it just this morning when you quote unquoteclaimedme?” My breathing became erratic.

“That may have been an oversight on my part.”

“Oversight,” I laughed without humor.

“Leora, you can’t want this. You have a life, you have friends and family. You’re not thinking straight.”

“Oh,” I nodded, a bitter edge to my voice. “Sendme back then.” I challenged.

“As I said,” he shook his head, “you’re not thinking straight.”

“So, let me get this straight. You won’t train me. You refuse to kiss me. I’m off-limits to you. And now I can’t even pull my weight with the squad?” My voice rose with every accusation. “Right? That’s what you’re saying? That I stay fucking helpless?”

“That’s not—”

“Right?” My voice grew louder.

Zarek closed his eyes, his features tightening as if my words physically pained him. “Yes. I don’t want you to be a part of this squad.”

“Take. Me. Back.” The words came out sharp, my teeth clenched in frustration.

He rose swiftly, his movements brimming with a tense, intimidating energy as he closed the distance between us. “And then what?” he gritted through his teeth, “You get kidnapped?Again?They use you to get to us?Again?You want to risk my squad’s lives for meaningless rescue ops?”

His glare was unyielding, and it dawned on me then. Hell, I wasmeaninglessto him. A liability. I sucked in a ragged breath and turned away.

“Fuck, I didn’t mean—” he began, his tone shifting, but I didn’t stay to hear the rest. I stormed out of his room, the door slamming behind me.

FIFTEEN

Zarek

Fuck. Fucking fuck!

I had screwed up. The hurt I saw flicker in her eyes—the hurt I caused—it was not something I could shake off.

I called her rescue mission from when she was kidnapped,meaningless, when it had meanteverythingto me.

Just as the echo of the door slam faded, Logan burst into my room. His entrance was less a question, more an accusation. “What the fuck did you do now?” He demanded.

“Stay out of this, Log—”

“She wants me to drive her back to Toronto,” he cut in, his tone a mix of disbelief and irritation. “Says if I don’t, she’ll sneak out herself. Obviously, she won’t manage, but what the hell, man?”

“Fuck!” My hands went to my hair, pulling at the roots as if I could somehow yank the frustration rightout of my skull. I recounted the disastrous conversation to Logan, who listened in silence, his expression unreadable.

After a heavy pause, he finally spoke. “Listen, Zar. If she wants to train, let her. If she thinks she can handle a mission, start her on surveillance with Amelia. Maybe even talk to Callahan about getting her into the training program.”

“She’s a civilian!” I exploded, the word ‘civilian’ sounding more like an accusation than a fact.

“So were we, once,” Logan countered calmly, leaning against the door frame. “I don’t think anything about her decision has to do with you. It’s probably about that ex of hers, Adriano.”

The mention of that bastard Adriano’s name ignited a familiar rage within me. “Adriano McLeen, that motherf—”

“Can’t kill a dead man, Zarek,” Logan interjected, his voice flat.

I sighed, the fight draining out of me as reality set in. “Fine, train her. But I’m not talking to Alpha One about this,” I said. “And make sure it’s just self-defense. She isnotpart of the squad,” I added, fixing him with a hard glare.

“Fine,” Logan agreed, a bit too quickly.

---