Page 19 of Playing with Fire

"You," I admitted before I could think better of it. "Us. Whatever this is becoming."

His expression softened, and he leaned into me more fully, his head resting against my shoulder. "I'm right here," he said simply, then added with a hollow laugh, "Not like I have anywhere else to go, anyway."

I winced. I'd almost forgotten the brutal reality that had brought us here in the first place. Someone had tried to burn Leo alive. Had destroyed everything he owned. Had taken his home, his possessions, his safety.

My arm tightened around him, something fierce and protective surging through me. "You'd always have a place with me." I brushed my thumb across his cheek, noticing the dark circles under his eyes that spoke of too little sleep and too much trauma. "We're going to find who did this, Leo. And they're going to pay. I promise you that."

His eyes held mine, searching for something. "I know. That's what scares me a little."

"What does?"

"How far you might go." He didn't look away, didn't flinch from the darkness he knew lived inside me. "How far I might let you go."

The honesty in his voice made something twist in my chest. He saw me—really saw me—and wasn't running. Instead, he was worried about what we might become together, the damage we might do in pursuit of vengeance.

I kept him pulled tight against me, one hand idly stroking his throat, marking time by the steady beat of his pulse under my fingers. He melted into my touch exactly as I'd anticipated, his body responding to me in ways that satisfied something primal in me. A need to claim, to protect, to control what belonged in my orbit.

But there was something else now, too. Something that made me want to be gentle with him, to earn the trust I saw in his eyes rather than simply demanding it.

Thank fuck he finally let himself want me. Two years of watching him hold back, of seeing him wrestle with the desire he thought he had to suppress… It had been exhausting. Now I could touch him whenever I wanted, could feel his pulse jump under my fingers, could watch him try not to squirm as I traced patterns on his skin. But I was increasingly aware that my own feelings were more complicated than I'd initially thought.

Last night had shown me that. The way my body had responded to him, the unexpected arousal I'd felt watching him come against my thigh… It was forcing me to reconsider everything I thought I knew about myself. About what I was capable of feeling. I'd told him I was asexual months ago, believing it with absolute certainty. Now I wasn't sure of anything except that Leo made me feel things I'd never thought possible.

"Earth to Xavier." Misha's voice pulled me back to the present. "We're here. Want to text your sibling, or should I?"

"I got it." I pulled out my phone, already dreading Xander's response. My most dramatic triplet had strong opinions about fashion, and none of them aligned with Leo's preference for comfortable, practical clothes. But Xander would lose his shit if he found out we went shopping without him.

I had the monthly stipend from Algerone burning a hole in my account, ready to be spent on whatever Leo needed. My biological father might be a psychopathic crime lord, but his guilt money spent just as well. Whenever I needed extra funds for my hunts or for taking care of what mattered to me, Algerone was only too happy to provide. Our relationship was transactional at best and toxic at worst, but I had long ago decided to use whatever resources he offered without letting it mean anything.

Sure enough, Xander burst out of his ranch house like he'd been waiting by the door. Probably had been knowing him. The modest single-story home with its weathered brick exterior and slightly overgrown lawn was quintessential Columbus suburbia, the perfect cover for an operative of Xander's caliber. The only hint of their true nature was the state-of-the-art security system I'd helped install last month, and the reinforced front door. Today they were wearing a flowing maxi dress that probably cost more than my bike, paired with combat boots and enough silver jewelry to set off metal detectors.

"Finally!" They yanked open the passenger door and slid in, careful not to catch their dress in the door. "Tell me we're starting at Easton. I haveplans."

"Jesus, Xander," I said, eyeing the excessive silver jewelry adorning his neck, fingers, and ears. "You planning to set off every metal detector in the mall?"

They shot me a wicked grin, fingers absently toying with one of their chunky rings. "You like? These are Swarovski." They tilted their head to show off an elaborate ear cuff that I knew concealed a lock pick set.

"Right," Misha snorted from the driver's seat. "And I'm sure those rings aren't basically brass knuckles."

"They're fashion that functions," Xander replied with mock offense. "Don't be jealous that I can accessorize and assassinate in the same outfit." After a few minutes, Xander turned in their seat to study Leo and me, their eyes missing nothing. "When were you going to tell me about..." He gestured between us with perfectly manicured nails.

Leo tensed.

I kept my face carefully neutral. "There’s nothing to tell."

"Bullshit," Xander retorted cheerfully. "You've been watching him like he's the last piece of tech on earth for two years. I want details."

"I don't watch people," I said automatically, even as I felt something hot and uncomfortable crawl up my neck.

"You absolutely do," Misha chimed in, catching my eye in the rearview mirror. "It's been physically painful to witness."

Leo shifted beside me, and I could sense his curiosity. "Has it really been that long?" he asked quietly, just for me.

I swallowed, suddenly exposed in a way I hadn't anticipated. "Shut up and drive, Misha."

The mall was already busy despite the early hour. Leo pressed closer to my side as we walked in, shoulders hunched slightly, like he was trying to disappear into the hoodie he'd borrowed from me. I kept a hand on the small of his back, both protective and possessive.

We hit Nordstrom's at Xander's insistence, and Leo stood by while Xander and Misha piled clothes in his arms. I watched him, frowning at the tightness around his eyes, the way his fingers fidgeted with the hems of shirts. All signs of his discomfort.

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