Page 26 of Forever Midnight

ChapterTwelve

TRU

As if I didn’t already think Midnight was hotter than the sun. This dark, moody thing he has going on is doing it for me. A man who gets pissed off at the idea of innocent people being taken advantage of is just a bonus.

“I have a job to do down there tonight,” Thorn says. “I can snoop around and let you know when I’ve found them.”

“No,” Midnight says, his jaw tight. “I’ll handle it.”

“Don’t you think you should stay with Tru until he’s fully healed?” Syn asks in a way that, at least to me, says ‘don’t argue with me.’

“I feel fine,” I offer.

Midnight isn’t looking at me, but his arm is pressed against mine, and I’d swear his emotions are like a rope binding us together.

“Syn is right,” Midnight grumbles. “You need another day.”

“How do you know what I need?”

“Vivienne’s medicine takes that long,” Bowie offers with a smile. “Ask me how I know.”

“I see.” I cross my arms over my chest, slightly annoyed, but giving in to the internal voice telling me to heed the warning. “Fine. I’ll rest.”

Midnight noticeably relaxes. “Please let me know what you find tonight, Thorn.”

“Of course.”

Midnight takes my hand, and I let him, allowing him to lead me back to his unit. I can’t tell what he’s feeling, so I guess the best way to find out is just to ask.

“Yves gave permission, I guess?”

“Yes. It’s not like any of us want Malice around, but now that I know what they’re really up to, I’m even more determined to deal with them.”

I sink into a velvet armchair, tucking my feet underneath me. “Thank you.”

Midnight nods, his expression softening. “I’m happy to help. There must be a reason our paths crossed.”

I bite my bottom lip as his words settle somewhere in my chest, releasing the ball of stress there just a little. “Yeah, I guess so. I gotta say, it feels pretty good not to be dealing with this on my own anymore.”

“You’re very brave, if a little reckless.” His tone is soft, even amused.

“Fair enough.”

“Are you hungry?”

I shake my head. “No, but you can eat if you are.”

“I’m fine.”

Midnight sits on the sofa across from me, that intense gaze of his trained solely on me. “You’re too thin, Tru. The stress is a lot to bear. You need to take care of your body as well as your mind.”

“Is that how you do it? You kill people for a living, but you seem cool.”

“There’s a certain detachment all of us live with. It helps.” He glances out the window for a moment before shifting his eyes back to me. “But yes, it’s important to find balance. My brothers restore my soul and keep me sane. Community matters.”

I nod, nibbling at my lip again. “I don’t really have that. Community. I used to have friends, you know? Lots of them, but I distanced myself.”

“Because of your sister?”

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