2020, July 26th
(Location Undisclosed)
KEIRA
I held onto Aiden's hands the whole drive back to the hotel. Nathan offered to take us back to the hotel. As soon as we walked through the door of our room, I started packing. It was time to move again. Aiden came up to me and stopped me.
"Let's just take a second here, okay? How are you?" he asked, concern etched in his facial features.
I was taken aback. When was the last time someone asked me how I was after a shoot out?
"How am I?" I asked, dumbfounded.
"Your twin just shot at us—" he began.
"You, she was shooting at you. Katie wouldn't shoot me," I corrected him. The soldier in her would much rather see me in the pain. Eye for an eye. "At least not deliberately. Are you okay?"
"Right. Obviously. You'll forgive my concern. Last time I checked, 'not deliberate' bullets still kill people," Aiden mouthed off, a frustrated frown gracing his face. "She could have killed you, Keira. She could have—"
I couldn't help but laugh. My sister may very well be the only person alive capable of carrying out a hit on me. Still, the notion remained ridiculous. Kate was pissed, but we were blood. That had always triumphed over everything for us. At least it used to.
"I'm sorry," I said, turning my laughter into a cough. Aiden had steam coming out of his face holes. I took him into my arms. His concern for me was endearing, albeit unnecessary. "Katie's ranked number two, second only to me. She's precise, Aiden. You were the only one in danger out there today."
My face fell. Saying the words brought me back to myself. Every fear I'd been holding onto for months now, if I was honest, materialized before my very eyes. It was worse than I imagined. I didn't know if I could make myself shoot Kate if push came to shove.
Before I knew it, I was in tears.
What the fuck did you turn me into, Denny?
The hardened soldier that I was, I cried at the drop of a hat around him. The thought of losing him weighed heavily on me. I turned and walked away from him to resume packing. He followed, wrapping his arms around me when he reached me.
"We need to move," I said, wiping away the already fallen tears, biting down hard on my lip to hold back the freshly formed ones.
"I'm okay Keira and so is she," he reassured me, like he was reading my mind.
But for how long? I couldn't keep risking his life because I had mommy issues. I had to deal with Kate. We needed to have a real conversation. I had to talk some sense into her. If that didn't work, then I would beat the sense back into her.
Because Kate and I wouldn't come back from her killing Aiden. Maybe I was naive, walking out into that clearing like I was bulletproof. Maybe we were already too far gone, but I had to try. Nathan needed my help. I turned around in Aiden's arms.
"If, if we go to Imperium and I—" I began reluctantly.
"We," Aiden amended. "I'm not letting you do it alone. I'll play by your rules, I'll take your sword training seriously, whatever, but I'm going with you to bring her in."
"Aiden—" I muttered, my chest constricting painfully.
Stay out of it. Not your fight. Fucking stay alive, damn you.
"If you go, I go. That's the deal," he said firmly, unwilling to discuss the matter.
"You're a dumbass," I said, gliding my fingers through his hair.
I had to stop giving this man everything he asked for, but I couldn't help it. Everything he wanted, I wanted too.
AIDEN
She didn't want to hear it and I shouldn't say it. I realized it as I stood next to her in those woods, ready to die for her just like Nathan said I was. Now it was just everywhere. In the way we looked at each other. Each concerned for the other's safety. The way she touched me only made the truth more pronounced.
Tell her tomorrow. Tell her after she agrees to go home. Just don't say it now.
"Let's accept the deal," she said. "When it's over, when Katie's home, you'll be my getaway prince driver, right? I want a permanent out. I want to go home with you."
I felt my heart stop. Sincere words. Vulnerability in her eyes. She never said things like that and she never would. I was a fool, waiting to hear I mattered to her. And yet, the moment did come. She said the words and she said them to me.
Her face grew uncertain. She wanted to pull away. A smug grin split my face.
"I should almost die every day," I mouthed off, moved beyond what I dared convey.
She punched me in the gut, the hit landing a little harder than she probably intended. "Don't say stupid shit."
It took me a moment to regain my composure, but my smile didn't falter.
"The proposal was sweet right up until the punching bit," I said, slipping my fingers through her silky, dark curls.
"What? What?" she stammered, her face turning beet red. "What proposal?" she asked, her voice hoarse.
She withdrew her hands from my body to cover her cheeks. I covered her hands with mine and removed them from her face.
"Show me your cute, blushing cheeks," I teased her, my grin widening. "'Permanent out. Go home with you.' Sounded like a proposal to me, " I taunted her.
"Don't be ridiculous. Girls don't propose," she said innocently, the tough as nails assassin just a girl before me as she lowered her gaze.
Her reaction had my heart soaring. No revolt against the idea of marrying me. Just playful incredulity as she sought to hide from me. Her lowered walls had me bringing mine down too.
I kissed her forehead, her eyelids, her nose and cheeks, then moved onto her jaw and neck.
Ready or not, here it comes.
How could I not tell her when she was capable of such adorable faces?
"That's too bad. You should know I'm just a little in love with you, so I would have said yes, Keira. Yes to whatever you want," I told her in earnest, toying with the ring around her neck.
It would never be her engagement ring. I'd get her something better. Untainted. Just the same, having it around her neck brought me as much comfort as it did her.