Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 57067 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 285(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57067 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 285(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
He clings onto me desperately, pulling me flush against him so that there’s no space between our bodies.
“Whatever happens, you’ll be—”
“No, Damian.” I lean back so that I can place my hand against his chest, clawing against his firmness through his shirt. “Don’t promise me I’ll be safe. Don’t promise me whatever happens, I’ll get out of here. I want you to promise that you’ll come back to me.”
He sighs, as if he’s debating saying it to me. He could say it even if he doesn’t mean it. If he doesn’t return, it’ll mean he’s dead–or worse, a prisoner of the mob, experiencing all kinds of twisted horrors. He won’t have to confront me after lying.
“I can’t promise you that,” he says. “But I’ll try with everything I’ve got. Because fighting to come back to you gives me more motivation than anything else possibly could.”
He kisses me like he’s scared of my reply, like he’s worried that it isn’t good enough. Maybe it’s not, but when our lips collide, I can’t argue anymore. I wrap my arms tightly around him and disappear into the reality-obliterating closeness of our kiss.
Nothing else–just this, just us.
“We’ve got a little time before we have to leave,” he murmurs, his breath sensually moving over me.
I turn away, guilt stabbing at me. “I’m not sure I’m in the mood…”
“Hey.” He touches my chin, turns me back to him. “I’m not an animal.”
Somehow, I laugh, jabbing him playfully. “Liar.”
“Okay, maybe I am.” He smirks. “But I was going to ask, Celine, will you do me the honor…”
Is he kidding? He’s not going to ask that question, is he?
“Of building a snowman with me?”
A surreal laugh grips me. “Are you serious?”
“Scared you haven’t got enough Christmas spirit for it, eh?”
“I’m up for the challenge.”
He squeezes my hip. “We’ll see about that.”
We put on our coats and gloves and go outside. Julian sits on the porch with coffee steam whirling around us, watching as we gather and pack the snow. It’s difficult to let the significance of this day go at first, but the further we get, the more distant the drama becomes.
Damian steps back, hands on his hips, chuckling as I add the finishing touches: two stones for eyes, a stick for a nose, and a bunch of broken sticks to form a mouth.
“Is that supposed to be me?”
I study the frowning, grumpy stick mouth, then turn to him with a big smile. “How could you tell?”
For precious seconds, it’s Christmas again, and no one can hurt us.
Then it all hits me: the fact this could be the last time I see him and my brother, the battle they’re walking into, the guilt at calling in ‘sick’ to work when they’re going to be understaffed and rushing to find cover, the fact that I might be falling in love and it could all be taken away with the cold punch of a bullet.
But I don’t let my smile falter. I keep it glued to my face, staring at my man, as snow flutters around him and settles in his hair.
CHAPTER 30
DAMIAN
The drive to the city is quiet. A pit in my stomach grows bigger with each extra mile we put between Celine and us. I grip the steering wheel, twisting my hands around it. My teeth are gritted, fixed like that. Like I’ve got rigor mortis already.
“Your FBI guy won’t come in on this?”
“He’s got his hands full with the women and girls we already rescued,” I grunt. “He can’t sanction an operation like this… especially as Mario could be leading us down shit’s creek.”
Julian sighs. “This could be the last time we ever see this skyline.”
I look up at the city, buildings scraping the sky, the air icy and blue. The snow has stopped, but it’s cold, so it hasn’t begun to melt. Everything sparkles like the inside of a snow globe. All I can think of is that Celine would love this view.
“You made things easier for her back there,” Julian mutters. “Building that snowman–taking her mind off this.”
“She makes life easier for me too,” I tell him. “Makes me feel like a human. Like I don’t have to be so damn miserable all the time.”
“When I was watching you two, I was thinking… I could do this alone.”
“No,” I say flatly.
“You could turn around and stay in the safe house with her. Be there for her.”
“This job has a higher chance of success with me involved,” I growl.
“Shit. Well–yeah. No one is arguing that.”
“So, I’m coming,” I snap.
He sighs. “I think she loves you.”
“What?” I growl.
“When she gave the snowman that big old frown…” His voice grows wistful. “She looked at you like her world finally made sense. Like she could finally just let go.”
“We need to focus,” I say.
He’s choking me up. That’s not good for a job.