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“You … you don’t?” Her golden eyes were anxious, and, even though I hadn’t intended to hurt her, I wanted to throat-punch myself.

“No. I don’t.” I gathered both of her braids in one hand and gently tugged them. “Stay. Please.”

“Why?”

Why? Is she kidding? She can’t guess? I suppose for a girl who’s had so little love and care in her life, it could be hard to recognize the signs that a guy’s into her.

Or I’ve hidden it better than I thought.

Pretty sure Kerry’s figured it out, though, and if he could figure it out, you’d think anyone would have.

I sighed and decided to give her a little of the truth.

“You’re good with Kerry. You can relate to him in a way the rest of us can’t. Gigi and Jax like you and would worry if you left because too many nephilim are disappearing all over the country. And we need you on this mission. You’re a great fighter and level-headed and street-smart.”

Her face closed up and her eyelids drooped until I saw only a thin glimmer of gold. Crap. She needed me to say it, didn’t she?

“And I want you to stay. I feel good when I’m with you. Happy.” Taking a deep breath, I cupped the side of her face in my palm and stroked my thumb over her cheek. “I’m basically selfish, Mira. You matter to me and I don’t… I don’t want you to disappear from my life.”

Her eyes flew wide open and met mine.

“You can’t say that—any of that—unless you mean it,” she whispered.

“I mean it. Look, I don’t know where this mission is going or where it’ll end and, like I told you before, you might get hurt. I don’t want that to happen and I’ll do anything to keep you safe, but it’s always a possibility. But you need to know that I would never hurt you. Not ever. I swear it.”

Her eyes searched mine, then she blinked and looked at her hands.

“It’s me, not you. I know I’m not—” She sucked in a jerky breath and her bottom lip trembled.

“I know I’m not … right … yet. There’s something broken inside me and I’m scared I won’t ever heal.

Truth is, I was broken long before the devil came along.

But you don’t need to put up with me while I’m figuring it all out. ”

“I don’t put up with you. I want to help you figure it all out. And I want you to let me. Trust me, Mira. Can you do that?”

Her eyebrows scrunched up and she stared at her knees for a long moment. Then she nodded.

“I can do that. Okay, I’ll stay.”

“Why?” I repeated her earlier question.

“It didn’t sit right with me to leave while Gemma’s still MIA.

” Her head swiveled up and irritation burned in her eyes.

“And it’s nice to have a friend like Gigi.

And because she and Jax are so… naive. That may be the right word.

Plus Kerry needs some looking after. You can’t ride herd on all of them all the time by yourself. ”

I straightened my shoulders. She certainly didn’t pull her punches, but then I hadn’t deluded myself into thinking she was into me.

I knew I wasn’t the life of the party like Spin or charming like Chance.

Most of my few dates had left with glazed looks after I’d slipped up and started talking history.

Stood to reason that a cool, tough, smart chick like this wouldn’t want to get to know someone as boring as me.

“And.” She paused as her cheeks flushed a little, but her eyes never left mine as she repeated my words. “I feel good when I’m with you. Happy. You matter to me and I don’t want you to disappear from my life.”

I knew my face didn’t give anything away—I had too much practice in hiding behind a mask of calm—but my heart leapt like a runner off the starting blocks.

Before she could protest, I kissed her cheek, then moved us both out of the car and onto our feet. She did a double-take at the driver’s door where it lay on the concrete and I ducked my head sheepishly when she turned to me, one eyebrow raised, and nudged the door with her toe.

“Sorry.” I scrubbed a hand through my hair.

“And you were up to a hundred points, too.” She gave me a snarky smile.

Ahh, there’s my girl.

“I was in a hurry,” I tried again. “And I should have earned a ton of points for holding you while you slimed up my shirt.”

“I wouldn’t have slimed it up if you hadn’t hurt my feelings.”

Knowing I wasn’t going to win this round, nor did I want to, I let it go with good grace.

“You’re right.” I held her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

Her eyes warmed to honey, and I knew I’d said the right thing.

“Well, at least I can fix it pretty quick.”

Her hands glowed gray and the door was back in place in less than a second. She frowned as she walked around the passenger side.

“Poor old girl,” she muttered. “Well, she may be battered and shattered, but she’s still solid.”

Could say the same about you, too, baby girl .

Crossing my arms over my chest, I watched as she touched a finger to the hood. Her power flowed through the metal and smoothed each ding and dent like a mason’s trowel over wet cement.

“Can’t do anything about the paint. Doesn’t have enough metal in it to listen to me. Still, looks a lot better, don’t you think?”

“Yes.” I eyed her as critically as she eyed her handiwork. “Much better.”

“Rome?”

Her face turned as serious as a heart attack, and wariness and dread made my eyes narrow.

“Yes?”

“I award you five points for saying sorry.”

I blinked, then forced back a grin. She wasn’t playing, so grinning would have been a mistake.

Not what I was expecting, and more than I deserve.

“Thank you, baby girl. Your generosity awes me.”

She inclined her head as regally as a queen.

#

Mira

“Mira! How could you?” Gigi scolded.

I rolled my eyes as the little watcher crashed into me. If I wasn’t so strong, I would have been knocked back into Rome. As it was, I staggered a little as her arms clung to me like octopus tentacles.

“Don’t you do that again!” she fussed as she squeezed me. “When a boy’s been stupid and upsets you, you run to me , not away . It’s like the first rule of girlfriends!”

Shocked, I looked down at the mass of black curls on my shoulder.

Girlfriends?

Rome half-pushed me the rest of the way into the room and joined Kerry at the kitchen table.

“I told you it would upset everyone,” Kerry said. “Listen to me next time, idiot.”

“Kerry!” Gigi hissed, then looked up at me. “You’re not an idiot.”

“Don’t worry. I understand him pretty well now.” I smiled.

“Did Rome hold you and let you slime up his shirt?” Kerry’s eyes were dead serious.

“Uh.” Unpeeling myself from Gigi, I looked from him to Rome, not sure how to respond.

“Yes, I did,” Rome retorted. “Not that it’s any of your business.”

“Boots is my friend,” Kerry said, nothing but sincere. “I gotta watch out for her. And you owed her that much because you’re the one who made her cry.”

The last of the tension eased from my shoulders as I laughed with Gigi.

Feeling eyes on me, I glanced over and saw Rome’s crystal blues staring at me.

I blushed a little, embarrassed by my crying, but held his intense gaze.

When he smiled, his eyes were so gentle, I had to turn away before I said something stupid.