Page 124 of Kingdom of Chaos
Becks gaze shifts to me, then back to Talon. “I do,” is all he says.
With that, I watch him turn, ready to walk away, and a tight ache clenches in my chest. He only gets a handful of steps away before I’m calling his name and jogging to catch up.
He pauses, shoulders tense as I reach him.
“I know going back there isn’t easy. So . . . just . . . thanks for not letting that stop you.”
What I really want to say isThank you for still caring about me,even though you’re hurting. Because I know he’s going back there as much for me as he is for his sister.
But I don’t. I can’t.
He dips his head slightly, like he’s acknowledging the weight of it. “It’s not about me,” he says. “It’s about getting her back, and doing what I can to protect the ones I love.”
He meets my eyes then, and the look that passes between us sends a jolt straight through me. “That’s all that matters.”
His gaze lingers just a second too long before he turns and walks away.
I don’t stop him. I just stand there, heart pounding, the weight of everything between us pressing down on me.
It’s complicated. It’s painful. And it’s far from over.
Thirty-Four
I suggest going backto the warehouse to train, but Talon vetoes the idea, saying that as much as I need the practice, I need rest even more. I’ll be no good to anyone tomorrow, whether it’s for training or fighting, if I don’t get some sleep.
With everything going on, I don’t know how I’m supposed to sleep, but I relent.
Imogen plans to use her undercover status within Kerrim’s ranks to try to dig up any information she can about Ensley. There’s still a chance, however small, that if she figures out where they’re keeping her, we could mount a rescue and revert to the original plan, giving me more time to prepare. It’s a long shot, but it’s something.
When we go to hail a cab back to the hotel, Titus hangs back, saying he wants to walk to blow off some steam and clear his head. The swelling around his eye is already going down thanks to his enhanced healing, and the gash on his ribs has stopped bleeding, but he still looks bad.
When I suggest that walking through the city in his condition might cause a scene, he gives me a look and says, “Trust me. Humans in this city have seen worse. No one will even blink.”
I’m not sure that’s true, but there’s a haunted flicker in his eyes that makes me pause. A fraying around the edges, like he’s just barely holding it together.
I sigh and say softly, “We’ll see you later.”
Talon and I don’t speak on the short cab ride to the hotel, but everything that’s happened between us hangs in the air, heavy, steady, and impossible to ignore. The silence continues when we arrive, but as we walk through the lobby, Talon places his hand on the small of my back. It’s such a simple gesture but it calms me, reminding me I’m not alone, even with everything crashing down around us.
When we return to our adjoining rooms, I start toward the girls’ side, but Talon catches my hand and gently tugs me toward him. He runs his hands up and down my arms, slow, deliberate strokes that leave a trail of goosebumps, zings of electricity chasing the path of his palms.
“Cold?” he asks, noticing my reaction.
I could lie to save myself the embarrassment, but I meet his gaze and slowly shake my head.
One side of his mouth lifts in a knowing half smile, but he doesn’t press. He searches my eyes and asks quietly, “Are you okay?”
It’s such a simple question but it cracks the fragile shell holding me together. My throat tightens, and I feel the sting behind my eyes. I shake my head again, this time more shaky, more honest. Words won’t come.
Talon’s hands still on my arms, then slide upward until they’re cupping my face.
“Come here,” he murmurs, drawing me into his chest like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
I don’t resist. I fold into him, the tension I didn’t realize I’d been carrying unraveling in his arms.
“I won’t tell you everything’s going to be all right,” he says honestly. “But I will promise to be there every step of the way. Just like I have been from the beginning. I won’t let you face any of this alone.”
His words pierce straight through me, not because he’s telling me what I want to hear, but because he isn’t. He’s giving me raw honesty, and somehow that’s more comforting than any pretty lie could ever be.
