Page 131 of Shadowed Vows: Ghost
A tremor runs through her, but I note she doesn't pull away.
"That night at Gary Danko," I continue, my voice low, "I couldn't stand seeing another man touch you. The thought of his hands on you made me want to tear him apart."
"So you scared him away," she says, realization dawning in her eyes.
"I did." I don't apologize. I never will. "And I'd do it again. The idea of anyone else touching what's mine makes me murderous."
She turns to face me. "And the camera?"
"I had cameras in your apartment." Again, no apology. "I noticed your collection. This was the one you didn't have."
"And the dessert? Did you torture my grandmother for the recipe?"
I laugh, genuinely amused. "That woman is made of titanium. She wouldn't break. We sent Cole to sweet-talk her into baking some."
Alina laughs, the sound warming something cold inside me. "Grandma Sophia probably thought Cole was hot."
"Apparently, she tried to set him up with her neighbor's granddaughter." I smile despite myself. "He barely escaped."
She shakes her head, grinning. "That sounds like Grandma." Her fingers trace the camera reverently. "This is... incredible. Thank you."
"That's not all." I reach into a desk drawer and pull out a small box.
I open it to reveal a sleek tactical watch, its matte black surface gleaming in the low light. Turning it over, I show her the engraving on the back: "Hellcat."
"What's this?" she asks, as I carefully fasten it around her wrist.
"Every Nightfall operative gets one when they're officially inducted," I explain. "It has a specialized chip that makes it easy for us to track each other."
The watch face is almost comically large on her slender wrist. I frown slightly. "I never had to think about women's sizes before."
She laughs. "Hellcat, huh? That's my callsign?"
"It fits." My smile softens as I roll up my sleeve to show her my own watch—similar in design but with additional features. "Only Roman and I have this version."
My voice cracks slightly on Roman's name, the loss still a raw wound.
Alina covers my hand with hers, squeezing gently. "It's perfect."
The significance of the moment settles between us. This isn't just a gift—it's initiation into my world, a world where morality is rarely black and white, where the rules are different, where loyalty is everything.
I bring her hand to my lips, kissing the inside of her wrist just below the watch.
"This is your formal welcome to Nightfall, Alina Bennett."
thirty-eight
Alina
Kade's warm hand engulfs mine as we walk toward the command center. His thumb traces absent patterns across my knuckles, the simple touch sending electricity up my arm.
The tactical watch he gave me last night gleams against my wrist, its weight still unfamiliar but oddly comforting.
The command center hums with activity—screens flashing with data, keyboards clicking, the low murmur of tactical discussions. As we enter, the room doesn't exactly fall silent, but there's a noticeable shift. Six pairs of eyes track our joined hands before flicking to the watch on my wrist.
Cole spots it first, his typically stoic expression breaking into a knowing smirk. "Well, would you look at that. He finally did it." He gestures toward my wrist with an exaggerated nod. "Took him long enough."
Heat crawls up my neck as the team exchanges glances.
