Page 156 of Insatiable

When she falls asleep, I lace our fingers, my other hand playing with her hair. “You should have stayed out of my life,” I whisper. “But you’ve always been there. Always.”

“Do you know what you’re doing?”

I glance up, my eyes clashing with my assistant’s. “What?”

“The more time you spend with her, the more danger she’ll be in.”

“I know that, Barry. Why the fuck do you think I’m rushing her out the country?”

“Sorry, sir, but she’s innocent and you’re…”

“I know,” I reply. “I fucking know.”

The drive takes forever and no time at all. I spend every moment of it staring down at her.

When we arrive at the hangar, Barry scans his badge to open the gates. The jet comes into view as we veer around the corner of an abandoned building.

“Wake up, Freckles,” I say softly, stroking her hair. She stirs, then blinks her eyes open. The corner of my mouth tugs absently, and I flatten my lips. “We’re here.”

The car stops as she rubs her eyes, trying to wake herself up. She looks out the window at the jet, my team waiting to both help her escape and fight the fight that will inevitably come here.

“Wait. What happens when I leave? Where do you go?”

The pilot appears as the stairs lower, his messy grey hair a sure sign we’ve dragged him out of bed.

I stare at Stacey. “I told you not to worry about me.”

“Well I’m going to!”

Someone’s radio beeps, announcing that four SUVs are trying to enter the area.

I briefly close my eyes; I hate that my team is dying. “You need to leave. Now.”

Barry takes her things, standing beside her. “Miss, if you’d board the jet please.”

Another radio goes off. A casualty. Two. Three.

Bernadette’s army is coming.

When Stacey takes a step back, ready to leave, I snatch her wrist and pull her to me, crashing my mouth down on hers with my hands on each side of her face. It’s not deep or passionate but enough that I won’t regret watching her walk away without kissing her.

And fuck me, feeling her lips on mine is a dream, especially when she kisses me back and the world ceases to exist.

I’m no longer standing in the airfield. I’m playing dares in a tent with the girl I’ve fancied since I was fifteen. Her lips are on mine, and I’m no longer in darkness, swallowed by the shadows of my wrongdoings.

The butterflies are still there. The nerves and the shake of my hands.

She told me not to kiss her, but she isn’t pushing me away either.

I taste her tears as she whimpers against my lips. “Come with me.”

I release her and step back, putting distance between us, and shake my head. “I can’t.”

Another gunshot, and I turn to Barry. “Get everyone on. You included.”

He frowns. “Why?”

“Because they’ll kill you all, and I’m not letting that happen. Get on the fucking jet – that’s an order.”

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