Page 78 of All's Fair In Love & War

“For what?” he asked, watching me too closely.

“For disappointment. For relapse. For fucking everything up the second things start to feel good.” I blinked hard, forcing myself not to cry again. “For the spiral. The silence. The days I won’t talk and the nights I won’t sleep. I’m not a safe bet.”

“Good,” he said, his thumb resuming that slow drag over my skin like he hadn’t just heard me say I was walking, talking C4. “I’m not looking for safe.”

I stared at him, breath caught somewhere between my ribs, and for the first time, I didn’t know whether I wanted to kiss him or run. Maybe both.

“I’m serious,” I warned, my voice softer. “You keep reaching for me, and you’re gonna get cut.”

Khalil leaned in, not too close, but close enough for me to feel his certainty, his heat, and his promise.

“Then we’ll bleed together.”

That was it.

That was the line that did me in. Nobody had ever wanted to stand in the wreckage with me before. They all just wanted to fix it or pretend it wasn’t there. But him? He wanted the wreckage.

He wanted me, and fuck, I wasn’t ready, but for once, I didn’t want to run, I didn’t want to lie, and I didn’t want todisappear into the high. So I didn’t. Instead, I remained seated in my closet, silent, bare, and broken, but breathing.

And he stayed, too.

Neither of us moved. Not because we didn’t know how this would end, but because, for the first time, we didn’t care.

Chapter 19

The Recruit

Tatum

“Where the fuck are we, and why the hell would you buy this dump?” Riley asked, staring out the window at the dilapidated warehouse I bought in the middle of nowhere.

The place was a corpse of concrete split down the middle. Rust bled from every bolt, weeds grew through the cracks, and the chain-link fencing sagged inward, as if it had been punched in the mouth. There were no signs, no streetlights, not even a street name. Just dirt, wind, and the smell of metal decay thick in the air.

It wasn’t hidden. It was abandoned and forgotten, which was exactly why I wanted it. Nobody came this far out to visit or ask questions. There were no cameras, no curious eyes, and no nosy neighbors peeking through blinds. Just silence, the kind that swallowed screams whole and never spat them back out.

It was perfect.

I pushed the door open and stepped out of my gunmetal silver Genesis G80. Much like me, my baby was sleek, smooth, and often underestimated.

Naeem couldn't understand my affection for my G80. He was accustomed to a life of high status, surrounded by luxury vehicles that practically announced his arrival before he even stepped out. I’d grown up with money too, but unlike him, I didn’t need to prove it. My Genesis gave luxury without the spotlight. Most people didn’t even recognize the brand, which meant fewer eyes when I pulled up.

“Would you have preferred I buy a new, fancy building where inspections would be held and people would want to know what we’re doing?”

Riley leaned forward in the passenger seat, squinting through the windshield like clearer vision might help make sense of where I’d brought her. “Nah, but I need a tetanus when we leave here,” she said.

“That’s something you should be on top of anyway.” I frowned to keep from laughing at Riley’s expression.

Sophia slid out from the backseat, pulling her coat tighter around her and giving the building a once-over. "Looks like something out of a horror flick," she muttered. “You sure this place isn’t haunted?”

“Not haunted,” I said. “Just broken enough to keep the wrong people out.”

“Y’all stop being bougie and bring your asses on,” I snapped, already tired of explaining myself. “We’ve got shit to handle.”

“Okay, damn!” Riley huffed, finally swinging the door open and stepping out.

With them trailing me, we made our way inside, the heavy metal door creaking on its hinges and groaning behind us as it shut. The scent of rust hit me hard, and I gagged. Between thatand the morning sickness, I knew I was on borrowed time, but I kept moving and hoped my stomach wouldn’t get worse.

Sophia glanced around and then at me. “Okay. Why are we here?” she asked before peering up at the exposed beams looming overhead.

---