Page 48 of Blood in the Water

I still did.

After how terrifying that nightmare had been, I had searched for any solid ground—and there he was, as always. More and more, I caught the moments of heat and desire that flashed across his face before he shut them down. Did he want me? Or was he caught up in the emotions of the moment?

Something dangerous between us grew with each passing day. Eventually, we’d have to face it.

“Nothing’s wrong,” he replied without looking up again. Dark circles hung under his eyes. Had he slept at all? “Did you sleep alright?”

“Uh uh,” Itskedas I folded my arms over my chest and cocked my hip out.“Don’t try to change the subject. What’s going on?”

“What do you mean?” he said while tightening the straps.

I rolled my eyes. “Why are you putting your guns on if nothing is wrong? You’re sending a conflicting message here. Guns mean danger. Bad. No guns means a-okay. All clear.”

He huffed a dry laugh but said nothing as he continued to strap weapons to different parts of his body and fill his backpack.

“Fine.” I opened the fridge to pull out ingredients for a sandwich. It was all we had. And because I was such a great friend, I made sure to pull out enough meat and cheese to make Cas a sandwich, too. He was so lucky.

He was silent for a moment while I moved around the kitchen. “There are no emergencies, but I’m going into the city. Colin is on his way to pick me up.”

My hands paused in the middle of pulling out four pieces of bread. A sudden shock of fear laced down my spine. The city. Home. “Why?”

He sighed, avoiding my gaze. What the hell was he thinking? “We need more money. Colin is going to help me hit a few of my extra caches. I have enough to keep us going. We’re leaving in—” he checked the time on the burner phone, “—fifteen minutes. Should be able to get in and out without anyone knowing once the sun starts setting.”

I stopped making the food. “Let me get ready.”

“What? You’re not coming,” he said quickly.

“Yes, I am,” I said as I turned to face him. “You’re not going alone.”

Going into the city filled me with intense dread, but so did the idea of Cas leaving. I didn’twantto go back. I don’t think I could set foot within my father’s territory without looking twice at every single woman I saw walking the street and wondering whether they’d get kidnapped and sold into sex slavery. Already, the thought that it was partly my fault because I was too weak to stand up to Max and kill him that night plagued me.

But despite how much it scared me, I sure as fuck wasn’t letting him go without me. That money was for my quest for revenge. He would not put himself at risk and leave me back here like a damsel in distress.

“No, Leona,” he grumbled as he picked up the food where I left off and started layering the sandwiches together. “I’m not taking you with me.”

“Yes, you are.”

He handed me a plate with the first sandwich done. “No. You’re staying here, where it’s safe. I’ll get the money and come back.”

I set the plate on the counter and stomped down the hallway back toward our room so I could pull on some clothes.

“Leona!” he shouted after me. “Come back here!”

“No, I’m getting dressed!” I pulled off my shirt and rummaged around for a bra and clean clothes. We needed to do fucking laundry.

“Absolutely not,” he growled from outside the room.

As soon as he yanked the bedroom door open, he came face to face with my bare breasts.

He jerked back in surprise. Both of us froze.

But his mouth parted slightly, and his eyes roved over my body like he was taking in a piece of art hanging in the Met.

I swallowed. His hand clenched on the door frame.

It took me a second to cover myself, like Iwantedhim to see me.

And maybe I did.