Page 95 of BounBound By Scars

She wasthechoice.

But when I looked at Dylan, I knew I had thoroughly pissed him off.

Amelia

“Amelia,” Dylan’s voice cut through the hallway, halting my steps toward the VR sim. I glanced at him over my shoulder and quickly signaled Kabir to keep going.

He gave me a gentle kiss on the forehead, nodded once at Dylan, and walked off without protest.

“Dyl, listen—”

“Just—wait.” He exhaled slowly, squeezing his eyes shut for a second like he was trying to get his words straight. “I’m glad you’re volunteering. You’re capable. Hell, you’re the best candidate for this. But…”

I nodded, already sensing the storm brewing behind his composed exterior. “It’ll be fine, brother. I won’t let us lose anyone else.”

He swallowed hard, like the words he really wanted to say were caught somewhere in his throat. “You… fixed it, huh? The mess?”

I stepped closer, softening my tone. “Yeah. We’re good.”

His gaze was cautious. “You’re not hurting anymore?”

The concern in his voice made my heart twist, but I didn’t want him carrying my weight. I smirked, knowing exactly how to deflect it. “Oh, I’m a little sore. Kabir is—”

Before I could finish, his massive hand clamped over my mouth with a groan. He bent forward slightly, clearly regretting letting me speak.

“Christ, Amelia,” he muttered.

I burst out laughing, muffled against his hand.

But the moment passed too quickly. His hand dropped, and I caught the flicker of fear still etched across his face. My little joke hadn’t eased the tension like I’d hoped.

I gently took his wrist, grounding him. “It’s going to be okay,” I said quietly. “I know you’re scared. I am too. But I can feel it, Dyl. We’re getting close to the end of this. Closer than we’ve ever been.”

He let out a breath, one that felt like it carried too much weight for his broad shoulders.

“Yeah,” he said finally.

Something shifted in his expression then—something unreadable, gone before I could pin it down.

“Go train, Mellie.”

I gave him a sweet smile before pinching his side. This time, he was ready. No reaction, just that classic deadpan glare of his.

“You call me that again, and I’ll shave your head in your sleep,” I singsonged over my shoulder as I walked away—his snort echoing behind me.

???

“So, we’ve got the route down from the East Wing to the West. The basement entrance will be a bit tricky, though.”

Kabir’s commanding voice had been giving me jitters for the past thirty minutes. Not the annoying kind. The kind that mademe shift in my seat, squeeze my thighs together, and struggle to keep my thoughts on the mission.

He’d always been like this—clear, confident, focused. And I’d always reacted this way. But now? Now I actually had permission tofeelit. To want him. To think about dragging my lips across his throat while my name spilled from his mouth.

“We can make a tweak in the VR sim,” he continued, voice calm but firm, that signature weight in every word. “As long as I handle the physical security outside the Situation Room, I’m sure Lia can use the Sentrix to unlock the entrance. I’d be inside, no sweat.”

Hell yeah, you’d be inside. But there’d definitely be sweat.

His gaze flicked to me right then, and I swear he could see the spiraling in my brain. Maybe even the way my knee bounced just a little too fast under the table.

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