Page 52 of Raging Tempest

“It’s true.” She stopped fighting and took a step toward him. Her finger poked at his chest. “You’re helping a known criminal. He’s worth more alive to the Alliance despite what he does. Forget everyone else. Forget those he’s harmed. As long as he has some value to them. Just forget Every. Damn. Thing. Else.”

He scrubbed his hands down his face, weariness making him lose his focus. The emotions she brought out in him strangled him. He couldn’t reveal the truth without making things worse. It was bad enough she’d already figured out the salient points.

“Five minutes, Hunter One,”Kjar warned in his ear.

He had to keep her here a little longer for the others to arrive.

“Rook, please. Just let me leave.” The look in her eyes begged him to do the right thing.

“Niehl’s death will increase the scrutiny on you,” he said but his heart wasn’t in it.

Seraphina shook her head frantically. “I didn’t kill him. Someone else did. Use the fancy tech I know you have access to and it will show the laser fire didn’t come from this roof. It came from the left and ruined my shot.”

Therehadbeen two shooters. Ghost Unit had confirmed. She must have sensed him weakening because she continued. “I have to do this, Rook. You can pretend all you want, but you know what I’m doing is right. Jarad needs to be stopped.”

“Let someone else stop him,” he found himself saying.

“We’re in the building and on our way up,”Kjar reported.“Distract Tempest as long as possible if you have her. We’ve got your back.”

Disappointment crested Seraphina features as she watched him with a solemn expression. She knew he was commed. She expected him to turn her in. A slow crack widened in his chest. If he let the team take her, she’d never forgive him.

It shouldn’t matter though. There was nothing between them. The instant the thought appeared, it stood like a stark lie in his head. One he kept repeating as if he could make it true.

The attraction, the lust, the caring—it all pointed to there beingsomethingbetween them. Feelings he might never get the chance to explore if she was arrested.

Lifting Seraphina’s hand, he keyed the mechanism, releasing the plasti-cuff and took a step to the side. Then he took another step, freeing the path to the window. Since his team would come through the stairs, it was the only available route to escape undetected.

Her eyes widened. “What are you doing?”

There was no time to explain. “Give me your comm code.”

“Why, so you can track me?” She reached for her duffel bag, fingers tight on the straps.

“No, I...” He didn’t have the time to explain. “Five, Seven, Three, Zero.”

She laughed in disbelief. “You think I’ll tell you if you guess right?”

“Five, Seven, Three, Zero,” he said again and tipped his head in the direction of the window. “Go before they get here.”

“T-that’s your comm code, isn’t it?” she stuttered. “Why? What are—”

Every second she wasted was a second his team drew near. He didn’t have time to explain. Hardening his voice, he said, “You have to go. Now!”

Words unsaid hovered in the air. In the end, she ran to him. Her arms wound around his neck and Rook gripped her back. He held her tight, squeezing her close and nuzzled the top of her hair. “Damn it, Seraphina. If you insist on doing this, lose the Tempest persona and be fucking careful.”

She eased back and cupped his jaw. Her eyes glowed with affection, softening his heart further. “I’ll be careful.”

“Anddon’t get hurt,” he reminded gruffly.

“And don’t get hurt.” Her lips curved upward in a gentle smile, fingers soft as they smoothed his hair back. “I know what this is costing you. Thank you, Rook. I mean it.”

“You have to leave,” he muttered, forcing his fingers to unclench from her waist.

Her mouth landed on his as she kissed him again deeply. He growled and latched on, kissing her as if this might be the last time. It better not be. He’d kill if ERS, Jarad or the Alliance took her away from him. He blamed it on his limited Argoran heritage.

Seraphina broke the kiss and backed away. “Thank you, thank you.”

“Go!” he snapped, picking up the barest tap of a boot on the stairs outside. She ran to the window, slid her legs through and vanished from sight.

The door burst open behind him. Kjar, Dorian and Hahn stormed into the room, lasers up at the ready. Kjar stepped forward. “Where is she?”

“I was too late. She was already gone when I got here,” he lied.

Hahn eyed him with suspicion. Dorian merely stared. Kjar turned, searching the area and spotted the open window. Rook tensed but Kjar shook his head. “That’s too bad we missed her. Dorian did get the other shooter so we have that.”

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