Page 79 of Elas

“One day you’ll be out of my reach for good, August. One day you won’t fucking come back.”

“You don’t know that. We can do this, El, I know we can. We have to dosomething.”

My heart thumps underneath my ribcage, the mark on my chest buzzing as he takes a long inhale, his eyes fluttering closed. After a few breaths, they open and his lips press against mine. “I have waited a lifetime for you… a lifetime I’d gladly give again if that’s what it took to find you. Please, August.Please.I ambeggingyou. Run away with me. Behappywith me. We haven’t even had a chance to enjoy this yet.”

“Gods, I am happy with you,” I whisper as I kiss him again. “Happier than I’ve ever been. Never doubt that.” My cheek rests against his chest, listening to the thud of his heart under my ear.

Steady and sure.

“If I don’t do something, I’ll never be able to forgive myself,” I whisper. He whimpers, a strained, wounded sound that breaks my heart as his arms bind me to him. “They can’t win. It’s not fair.”

“In case you didn’t pick up on it by now, this life rarely is.”

“What if it was us?” I repeat my earlier question as he sighs. “What if Ronan and Cameron were inside that facility? Our friends, families? How close to home does it need to hit before you realize that we have to do something?”

“We don’thaveto,” he mutters, and I hug him tighter.

“We’re the good guys, Elas… we always win.”

He snorts an indignant, angry laugh. “Someone’s been reading too many fairy tales.”

“Maybe so,” I say, “but aren’t those the best stories to live by?” We fall into a thick silence, and I can sense the battle raging inside his mind. I don’t rush him, just hold on to him while he sorts his thoughts.

After a long stretch, he pushes out a conflicted sigh. “We wait until dark.”

My head whips up, taking in his somber demeanor. “You’ll really do it?”

He narrows his eyes and continues. “The base slows down after ten. If we wait until midnight, the only foot traffic should be routine patrols. If the movers are done by then, they’re done, and that’s the end. It’s too risky to attempt any earlier, and I will happily tie your ass up to keep you from sneaking out. Any sign of risk, any atall, and we call it. That’s my decision, and you will listen.”

He must recognize my defiance, because he fists my hair and forces my gaze to stay on his. “Let me protect you. Look me in the eye and swear to me you’ll listen, because if I say we’re done, then it’s over.” His tone leaves no room for argument, and I can see just how much he’s sacrificing by allowing me this.

“I swear.” Nodding, I push up on my toes to catch his lips. “Thank you,” I murmur. “Thank you for understanding.”

He sighs again, and his eyes are heavy when we separate. “Come on, then. We need to pack, and apparently have a fucking heist to plan.”

Elas

Darknesshasfallen,thesun long gone, and a heavy silence hangs over the base as we walk through the shadows.

I regret everything.

A single flutter of those blonde lashes, and I fucking cave to his madness. For hours, I tried to convince him to forget this insanity, but to no avail. He’s as stubborn as they come, and then justsmileswhile he digs in his heels.

I cling to that last-ditch hope that the transport van has already left… that we’ll arrive too late, and time will decide for us.

Save me from being the villain in August’s eyes.

But we round the corner, and my hope for salvation is gone. Streetlights shine off the side panels of the van, serving as a beacon in the darkness. The two-man crew loads a few more boxes into the trunk, and there’s plenty of space remaining inside the vehicle.

They have hours of work left, and I curse the fates for not intervening.

When they return to the clinic, thelocks on the vehicle click closed and steal my last-ditch idea that we can swipe them from the van and be done. We edge closer and wait for an opportunity. This is the part of the plan that carries the most risk. Using the keycard will deactivate the lock, but it also beeps its approval. If the workers hear us enter, our entire plan is bust, and I can’t be sure how far the noise will carry inside those cavernous halls.

Shadows are heavy tonight with the clouds covering the moon, and we crouch around the corner, only twenty feet from the door. An idea strikes me as distant footsteps carry from inside the echoing building. “They’re headed back this way. If we time it right, we can catch the door before it shuts. Be ready to hide, just in case.”

He doesn’t dare to respond, only nods and allows me to lead. Another minute passes before the workers swing the door wide, clumsily pushing through while carrying a large box each. The mouthy one complains about being tired, talking so much I’m not sure he even takes a breath. Once they get a few steps away, I bolt forward on silent feet.

Just a hair’s breadth before it slams shut, I catch the door and wince as my fingers muffle the crash. I stare at the workers, but they don’t notice our presence. August hurries over when I wave, and we both duck into the building. The door shuts behind us with a click that echoes through the eerily quiet lobby. My fingers lace with his, and we run down the hallway to the mostly empty file room.

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