Page 111 of Tribute
There was a long silence while she searched his face and then slowly shook her head. “I can’t let you do that. Whatever they took from me cannot be restored. I can’t mourn something that will never exist in this world.”
“I don’t fucking believe you. That’s why you are upset, isn’t it?”
Her grip tightened on his hand. “Youhaveto believe me. How can I go on if you don’t? We have to make something positive out of all this mess, Rehz Akran. And that is my future with you.”
His throat tightened and he had to swallow hard to get any words out at all. “I always told you I’d die for you. But I want you to know that Iwilldo this.” He tried to laugh. “I never thought I would be able to say that, but I can, because I want you to have everything, Anna Lee. Every fucking thing in the universe.”
Her arms came around him and she kissed him hard and he kissed her back and then he was on top of her, shoving their clothes aside, pushing his way into her body, joining them in the most basic way possible. Because there—flesh to flesh—they truly belonged and could finally make their peace.
The door burst open and Kai appeared, his arms loaded with weaponry.
“No time for fucking, people. Palk’s here. You and Aled are going with Bron down to the safe room, Anna. Aled’s pissed as hell about it, but he’s still going because I told himI’dshoot him if he didn’t.”
Rehz moved off Anna and helped her straighten up before handing her the smaller of the two weapons he’d selected. “Kill anyone except me and Kai who gets through that security door,” he instructed. “Don’t hesitate.”
“I won’t.” She met his gaze, her blue eyes clear.
He gave her one last, heated kiss. “Go on.”
She nodded, tucked the weapon under her arm, and followed Bron, who’d been waiting impatiently at the door. She didn’t look back. Rehz wondered if that was the last time he would see her, marching away from him, her head held high. It reminded him of the day they’d met, when she’d tried to bite his dick off.
How the hell could she think he didn’t believe she was strong? He’d never met anyone like her.
“Rehz.”
A sharp nudge from Kai brought him back to his surroundings. He immediately checked his weapons and listened with half an ear to Kai’s lecture about how they would defend the house until the president’s additional troops arrived. The plan seemed adequate, and he nodded as Bron reappeared.
“The safe room is on level 4-M, Rehz. There’s an elevator in the central hall that goes down to it. There’s also one in the president’s suite. And if the power fails, there are stairs beside the president’s elevator. Got that?”
He looked up. “What’s the security code to get in?”
Bron came over, pulled up the sleeve of Rehz’s black protective gear, and wrote a series of numbers on the inside of his wrist. He did the same for Kai.
“The ink will disappear in approximately four hours. I figure we’ll either have beaten Palk by then, or we’ll be dead.”
Rehz shoved down his sleeve. “I assume there’s a way for Anna and Aled to get out by themselves if no one comes for them?”
“The safe room is stocked to withstand a siege for a month. If we all die, they can either get out themselves or sit tight until the president’s special forces reach them.” Bron grimaced. “I told them it would be better to stay put.”
“You don’t think Palk’s men will be able to get in there?” Kai asked. “Is it possible that someone on his side knows about the safe room and has the codes?”
“Someone might know about the room, but they won’t have the codes. I just generated them. Only my team, the president, and you two have them.”
“Yeah, but we’ve seen how good your security is. Palk’s right here.”
Bron scowled and shoved a hand through his military-short black hair. “Fuck, I know that, but there’s nothing else I can do except fucking die for them, okay?”
Kai grinned at him. “Rehz and I were planning on doing that anyway, so you’re welcome to tag along.”
Bron handed over two earpieces. “This connects all the team. Aled and Anna can also hear what’s going on, but they can’t respond.”
“So mind my language,” Kai quipped.
Rehz glanced over at his friend, whose green eyes were glittering like hard, multifaceted gems. There was something about combat that brought out a new side of Kai, and his crazy death-defying hilarity. It was terrifying.
Rehz fitted the earpiece and immediately heard the chatter of the two men watching the approach roads around the compound. Counting him and Kai, there were twelve of them ready and willing to protect the house and its precious occupants.
“Let’s go,” Bron said.
