Page 98 of Never Enough

“I see guards and people starting to go into the corridor, but something…”—she shook her head—“something’s not right about what I’m seeing. I can’t figure it out. The miners look… wrong, somehow,” she whispered.

He sucked in a big breath. “Gem?”

“Yeah?” she replied distractedly.

“What happened?” He let the breath out. The words were out there, and he couldn’t take them back.

“What happened when?”

“At breakfast the other day. We were fine. Better than fine. Then suddenly we weren’t.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Bullshit. You know exactly what I mean. What. Happened?”

She sighed. “This isn’t the time, Nemo.”

“It will never be the time,” he chastised. “There will always be something that’s pressing, so while we wait here for that cavern to clear, we may as well talk about it.”

She turned on her side. “Fine. But we cannot get distracted by this, okay?”

“I promise. I’m distracted because Idon’tknow.”

Gem paused. “Waters mentioned me staying. And I can’t. It was a reminder that this is temporary, and I feel bad. Like I’ve led you on somehow.”

Nemo’s chest ached. She was withdrawing. She still didn’t believe he was in this, in them, despite the fact that she had come to him on the plane after their argument.

Son of a bitch! How do I fix this?

“How do I make you understand I’m not temporary?”

“You can’t, Nemo.” Her voice sounded small and sad. “There’s too much baggage in my head right now.Too much to work through. You’ve no idea how hard it is to undo nearly twenty years of hearing you’re not worthy.

“Besides that, I’m under contract with Mythos for several more years. I can’t just up and leave. Loki could pull me tomorrow, send me somewhere else, and I’m bound to follow his direction. Just like you’re bound to Tribe.”

“What if I was willing to wait?”

She laughed. “You? Wait? It would never happen. You might be able to do it for a short while, but without being able to talk to me, without seeing me for long stretches of time, I don’t think you could do it.” She turned her head just enough so he could see her expression. “I don’t fault you for that, Nemo. I really don’t. I honestly wouldn’t want you to wait. Nothing’s guaranteed in this world. You shouldn’t bind everything up in me and then have it come to nothing. What I do is just as dangerous as you. Now with a price on my head? That just makes it more likely you’ll outlive me.”

He snorted. “You don’t think there’s a price on my head? Fuck, I’m wanted in thirty-six countries for the shit Midas and I have pulled alone. I can name at least four terrorist groups that would behead me and set me on fire on sight, and who knows how many private individuals would gut me just for fun. Your reasoning is an excuse because you’re scared. Scared I’m playing you. Scared because your da has filled your head with a ton of shit about not being worthy of anything, much less a man.

“I’m in this, Gem. I wanted in this when we met back up in Riquewihr, but you took off.” He started shuffling up along her side. He tapped her calf. “Move over onto your side facing me.” It was a tight fit, but he managed.

“Steel’s right. This is hardly the time,” she quipped.

“Cut it out. This is serious, Gem.” He raised a hand to her face. He could see her in the dim light, and there was want andhope in her eyes but also restraint, as if recognizing that hoping was foolish. “I. Am. In. This. All the way.” He kissed her lips, just a quick brush of his lips. Reflexively, he smoothed a finger across her eyebrow, then tried to push back the rebel curl. “I promise. And I don’t make promises I don’t keep. So push your father the fuck out of your life. I told you. Listen to me. My voice. I’m here, and he’s not. You’re priceless, Gem.”

They both smiled at the pun.

“Wanting something doesn’t mean you get to have it.”

“You only can’t have me if you don’t want me. Is that it? You don’t want me?”

“I—”

A shout in the tunnel distracted them. Gem tapped her ear to reestablish communication. She dared to look out the opening.

“Waters, the miners are back in the tunnel, and the cavern is empty. We’re heading in.”

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