Page 153 of Defiant Beta

He kisses me.Hard. “No diving from buildings. A tree is fine as long as I’m under you, ready to catch you.”

I laugh at the ridiculousness of it. “Okay,” I shakily agree. “Scout's honor.”

Levi nudges him aside and clasps me around the nape of my neck, drawing me into a luscious air-stealing kiss that shatters my ability to think.

“Shit,” I mutter, struggling to breathe when he breaks the kiss. “You alphas sure know how to kiss a girl.”

He laughs as Vincent cups my jaw, and his eyes flick to my mouth. Not just hungry, but ravenous.

Everything in me stills.

He presses his forehead to mine, and the heat of his breath warms my lips. “If I kiss you, I won’t let you go. Not today, not tomorrow. Not ever. Do you understand?”

“Youditchedme,” I whisper.

He grasps me by the tops of my arms and shakes me. “We wanted yousafewhile we caught a killer. We have…” He hesitates, avoiding my gaze. “Ihave hurt you too much already. More than I deserve your forgiveness for.”

Guilt. It’s stamped across his face, and I realize then it’s always been there.

I just refused to see it until now.

“Bonehead alpha. I don’t blame you for that.” I grab the front of his shirt and yank him close, kissing him.

He freezes for a split second, then groans and deepens it, hungry and sweet. His arms tighten as the scents of raspberry and dark chocolate envelop me.

He wrenches himself away, breathing hard. “You don’t blame me?”

“I’d be coming at you with a bat if I did. One with nails in it. Just as soon as someone shows me how to put nails in one.”

He chokes out a laugh and drags me close again into a hug so hard it’s almost painful. “Thank fuck.”

Xavier’s sudden bark of laughter startles me, and I peel my face from Vincent’s chest to meet his amused gaze. “What?”

“I will haunt you forever, you evil witch.” He laughs.

It’s contagious. We sprawl across the ground, filling the clock tower roof with the sounds of our laughter.

I wipe tears from my eyes. “I wanted my last words to be famous.”

Xavier pulls me against his chest. He’s shaking. “Neverdo that again. Less cursing, more hugging the wall, okay? I lost five goddamn years of my life watching you go over.”

I wrap my arms around his waist and nod. Then I remember Ms. Huffman and move to get up. “She’s getting away.”

Levi shakes his head. “That’s not important right now.”

I didn't notice the cold before, but when I shiver, Levi immediately sits up and takes off his jacket, offering it to me. "Here.”

I sit up, accepting it with a grateful smile, huddling into the dark, soft wool. My smile widens when he pulls me closer, and I settle in his lap with my head resting against his chest.

“Ms. Huffman killed Aly,” I tell them quietly. “She killed a lot of omegas and her husband because he kept cheating on her. She didn’t say, but I think she tried to kill you in the sauna becauseshe thought you were cops and you’d figured out what she’d been doing.”

“But she didn’t kill you.” Xavier’s eyes slowly sweep over me. “Did she hurt you?”

I scowl. “The bitch was trying to shove me off the roof. She slammed her gun on my knuckles to make me fall.”

Xavier takes both of my hands, examining and stroking them. I wince, and he looks up at my face. “They don’t feel broken. Do you need to go to the hospital?”

I shake my head. “They’re just sore.”

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