Page 59 of Bound By Valor

“You’re it, Leora. I once told you that I was afraid you might be it,” I cupped her cheeks, “You’re fucking it.”

Her cheeks flushed a beautiful pink and she smiled lazily.

“Zarek Rivera. You’re it for me too.”

I made love to her then, with all my might. Leora was everything to me. I’d damn the mission if it meant she was mine. I’d damn the consequences if it meant she was safe.

I was in love with Leora Mateez, and I’d damn myself if I let her be hurt again.

???

After an uneventful short flight to New York, we landed on a private strip at the Newark airport. I looked out the window and saw black SUVs meticulously parked right at the tarmac.

Sebastian gave us the cover of being a private security unit from Toronto, out here in New York for business. No one on the plane, staff or the pilot, knew that they had just flown one of the deadliest Alpha squads of the past decade. We were the last ones left. Other squads were either dissolved, non-operational or dead. The missions we had completed, the devils we had killed to save innocent lives, all were a quiet mark on society that we had left. I was incredibly proud of my squad, and now Leora for joining it.

Logan dramatically yawned and stretched as hedescended the stairs of the aircraft. I followed behind him and Leora and others descended shortly after.

“Zarek,” Zane Cruiser held his hand to me.

“Zane,” I shook his hand, “How have you been?”

“All better after the nasty mission a month ago.”

“Heard about that! I’m glad you’re doing better, Zane. This is my team, I’m sure you remember.”

I gestured to my squad standing beside me.

“Of course!” He nodded and greeted them all.

“And this is my Leora,” I tucked Leora in my arms.

“I heard. Delara would be disappointed now that you’re taken, Zarek,” he eyed Leora and smiled, “Lovely to meet you, Leora.”

I smiled when I saw Leora was scowling and I couldn’t resist dropping a kiss on her lips.

“Yeah, sheisa bitch,” Leora whispered as we followed Zane, and my smile quickly turned into a laugh.

We headed towards the non-descript cars and Zane asked the staff to load our duffle bags in.

Soon, we were on our drive to Brooklyn. When the Blackthorn Security building fielded into view, I heard Leora gasp. Hell, even I was in awe of the modern brick warehouse that spanned a full two blocks. The three-story structures in each block connected through multiple bridges over the street below.

“Don’t let the floors fool you. Underground operations are more… high-end cases. We officially have three levels below these blocks,” Zane said.

“And unofficially?” I asked.

Zane just smiled and shrugged like he didn’t know the answer. We all got out of the cars in the first-level basement parking and Zane asked us all to follow himthrough a massive elevator that very well could carry a vehicle inside. The elevator required a thumb print and a code to enter.

Right. A security firm.

The elevator doors opened to a beautiful lobby, with high ceilings, exposed bricks, glass partitions and floor plants adorning every corner. I took in the beautiful space. A massive arch window looked at a covered courtyard right in the middle of the complex.

“We have guest rooms on this floor. Here are the keys you’ll need to enter them. The room number is tagged right here on the card,” Zane’s voice interrupted my shameless exploration, “Settle in, freshen up, and I’ll have someone pick you up from right here in an hour.”

He nodded at me and stalked off. I saw six keys lying on the reception desk. The woman behind it gave me a nervous smile, tucking a loose hair behind her ear.

I slid one key back towards her, “We won’t need the sixth room.”

I encircled my hands around Leora’s waist and watched the woman’s smile falter.

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