Page 170 of The Delta's Rogue
“Now.” My eyes open, and I glance at everyone gathered on the back deck one by one. “I suggest we round up the others and move this conversation somewhere that doesn’t block Peter’s back door. Andyou…”
Dominic lifts his gaze from the floor as I address him, remorse already forming in his eyes. “Yes, Your Highness?”
I exhale as close to silently as I can.
The others file into the house, leaving Dominic, Sebastian, and me alone on the deck. Sebastian leans closer until his chest brushes against my back. The exhaustion hits me again and the urge to collapse into him, to let him bear all my weight and carry me into the house, is stronger than ever. But I stay upright. I won’t show my weakness until we’re alone.
I don’t have it in me to yell at Dominic or scold him. That isn’t what any of us need right now anyway. All it will do is create more dissension and animosity between us, and our team needs to be united, not divided.
No, what Dominic needs is what I’ve always given him when his hotheadedness gets the best of him: space, time, understanding, and a touch of humor to bring him out of his self-loathing.
“Don’t be an ass,” I say at the same time as Sebastian says, “Don’t be a dickhead.”
Dominic’s lips twitch. “I’m sorry.” He shakes his head as he chuckles softly. “I—”
He swallows, shoves his hands in his pockets, and stares off towards the trees. His jaw ticks, and his eyes dart back and forth as he fights an inner battle with himself.
“We’re all on edge.” I shrug one shoulder. I won’t pry. He’ll talk about it when he’s ready. “There’s so much at stake, and no one wants to mess it up.”
He nods but continues to stare off into the trees, his internal debate taking up most of his focus.
“You’re needed at this meeting,” Sebastian says, finally drawing Dominic’s attention back to our conversation. “You’re needed on this team.”
Dominic gives Sebastian what I think is supposed to be a smile. Then he heads inside too.
As soon as Dominic’s out of sight, my knees buckle, and Sebastian scoops me into his arms. I don’t fight it. I’ll never fight it when it’s the two of us, when the weight of pretending like there’s nothing wrong with me becomes too much for me to bear on my own.
I nuzzle into him as he cradles me to his chest. My eyes close, and I’m tempted to succumb to sleep by the warmth emanating from him and the comfort I always feel when he’s near.
“Are you okay?” His lips brush my forehead, and his voice is a soft caress across my skin.
“I’m fine. I’m just tired.”
“I know. Your body is still healing itself. No one will bat an eye if you need to postpone this meeting so you can rest first.”
“No,” I insist. “I need to do this now.”
He kisses my forehead and holds me for a moment longer, hugging me tighter. There’s a flash of sparks where his lips touch my skin, and a glimmer of love and strength pulses through the muted bond. I caress his cheek and tilt my face so our lips meet. He sets me on my feet as we kiss and wraps his arms around my torso, pinning me to him.
“I’ll be right there with you.” He rests his forehead on mine. “I’ll always be right there, supporting you and loving you.”
I kiss him again, then steel myself before I head inside.
Everyone else already sits around the table, waiting for us. Wesley hands Sebastian a T-shirt. Once he has it on, Sebastian takes my hand in his and squeezes it. I squeeze back before I address everyone.
“Did Rune fill you all in on what she found?”
“Yes,” Reid says.
My lips pinch together. My hands shake, but Sebastian squeezes the one he holds tighter, sending reassurance to me.
The words I said to Dominic continue to clang in my head, adding to my heightened heart rate and my jittery demeanor. The nerves hit hard, but there is also a peace settling within me as I think through the best way to say what I need to say.
“This isn’t an easy decision,” I rush out, keeping my chin high and my spine straight. “I’ve spent almost all my adult life in charge of this mission, and I want nothing more than to see it through to the end.”
A knot forms in my throat, and a tear falls from my left eye. The shaking in my hands—a mixture of nerves, exhaustion, and the heavy, dark emotionsthat accompany any discussion of my time with the traffickers—spreads to my entire body. I gulp in air and sputter out an exhale.
Sebastian squeezes my hand again, inching closer to support me better but still letting me be the strong one, the one in charge right now.
