Page 54 of Echoes and Oaths
Eira leaned back to look up at him, her eyes warm, teasing.
"Sure. Teo’s already out. I made coffee. Was thinking we could sit out back for a while." Grinning, she tugged him toward the porch, and it wasso easyto imagine slipping into that life. A life where she smiled at him like that every night, where Teo called himDadwithout even thinking about it, where the world couldn’t touch them.
But that wasn’t their reality. And tonight, reality was there to collect. He caught her hand, stopping her gently. She frowned up at him, confused at first, then worried when she saw his face.
"Eira," he said softly.
She went still, the air between them thickening.
"I have to move you and Teo out," Jinx said, voice raw. "Tomorrow morning." She just stared at him for a second, like she hadn’t heard right. Like she was still waiting for him to smile and tell her it was a joke.
But no smile came.
Her mouth parted, a small, broken sound escaping. Her fingers tightened around his.
"It’s happening?" she whispered.
He nodded once, feeling like he was cutting hisheart out with the motion. "I’m sorry, baby," he rasped. "Ortega’s moving. It’s not safe anymore."
She blinked fast, swallowing hard, her free hand curling against his chest like she could anchor herself there. He covered her hand with his, holding her to him. "You’ll be safe with Raven," he promised. "We will have a future together, with Teo."
Tears welled in her eyes, but she shook her head fiercely, dragging in a breath like she was preparing for war. "I’m not scared for me," she said, voice trembling. "I’m scared for you."
"I know," he said, brushing a hand down her cheek. "But you have to go. You and Teo."
Her face crumpled for a second, just a second, then she squared her shoulders and nodded once.
"I’ll be ready," she said, fierce and quiet. “But we have tonight, right?” And that, more than anything, nearly broke him.
He leaned down, pressing his forehead to hers, breathing her in deeply. "Yes. We have tonight. I love you," he said hoarsely, the words a vow and a prayer all at once. Her fingers fisted in his shirt.
"I love you, too," she whispered.
Jinx kissed her hard and deep, wishing he could carve the memory of her into his bones.
CHAPTER 18
She couldn’t breathe. Mateo finally lifted away from the kiss. No, she couldn’t breathe, and it was because of this man. Because of the way his eyes fixed on her. Like the only thing anchoring him to the earth was his connection to her. Her fingers dug into his chest, feeling the wild thrum of his heart against her palms. He was trembling. She was, too. Two broken pieces, rattling apart, desperate to be whole.
"You should hate me," he choked out, voice wrecked. "After everything?—"
"Don’t," she cut him off, her throat burning with the pain of unshed tears. "Don’t say it. Don’t put that between us."
His eyes shuttered, pain flashing through themsharp and intense. His hands fisted at her sides as if touching her was shattering the last of his control.
But she was already shattered.
And then suddenly, she wasn’t looking at him anymore. She wasclawingat him, pulling on his shirt, hauling him down to her mouth. Kissing him like she could tear the hurt out of them with a simple kiss.
He kissed her back just as violently, his hands tangling in her hair, dragging her head back to devour her mouth. His body shook against hers as if he were barely holding himself together.
"I never stopped loving you," he growled against her lips. "Never. Not once. I'd die before I let you go again."
"Prove it," she gasped, her nails digging into his bare skin, leaving angry red streaks. "Prove you’re still mine."
A savage sound ripped from his throat. Was it a growl, perhaps a prayer, or maybe a curse? They were pulling at their clothes, frantic and wild and clumsy. His shirt slipped over his head. Hers hit the floor in a tangled mess. His hands roamed her body like he couldn’t believe she was real, rough, and tender in turns. His mouth chased hers, then moved down her neck, over the pulse hammering justbeneath her skin. Her body trembled uncontrollably. Mateo bit her neck, and her core heated in a tight grip of lust and need.
"You're mine," he breathed against her throat. "Mine, Eira. Always."
