Page 253 of Fragments

He smiles. “And we’re not?”

I purse my lips, shaking my head. “Baby… we’re supervillains. We can doanything.”

“I love you,” he whispers, holding my face, kissing my mouth with all his sweetness. “I love you so fucking much, Warren Xavier.”

“I love you beyond all reasoning, Lexington Deon.”

Pulling apart, our fingers locked, a burst of energy and determination flows between our gazes. We’re really going to do this.

And I fully believewe can.

Waiting for the coast to clear, Lex stays behind to keep watch while I sneak over to the side of the yacht and untie the ropes for the tender, lowering it into the water. Thankfully, it’s pretty dark, which should help us get out undetected. Though, it also means we’ll have a harder time seeing where the hell we’re going. But that’s a risk we’ll have to take. Fortunately, my backpack is stocked with emergency supplies. Some food and water, a flashlight, things of that nature.

After a few minutes, Lex scurries across the shore, joining me at the small boat. The waves are aggressive, already trying to pull us out before we’re even ready. So we just hop in and hope for the best.

“I saw about four guys,” Lex whispers as the boat sifts away from the shore. “Two inside the yacht. The other two ran off. It looked like they were heading for the prison…”

I nod, my eyes stuck on the yacht as we grow farther. “I don’t see anyone, but we should get down, just in case.”

Lying on my back, I pull Lex on top of me. He’s shivering, his skin like ice. Rubbing his arms and back, I hold him close to me while the boat rocks, shifting so I can shield him from the rain with my body.

“Stop,” he grumbles. “I don’t want you cold and wet just so I’m not…”

“It’s why I’m here, baby love.” I kiss his lips. “To protect you.”

“Mmf.” He makes a sweet, sexy little noise that registers in my groin.

Pressing my hips into his, I grind slowly between his legs. “This will keep us warm…”

He chuckles in my mouth. “That’s convenient for you.”

Grinning, I kiss him deeper, writhing into him harder. And sure enough, the sexual tension and lust between us becomes a blaze, heating our bodies significantly.

My mind is reeling. I can’t even fathom that this is reality… that we’re actually escaping Alabaster Isle.Together.

I never thought I’d see the day when Lex Luthor Deon agreed to escape prison, withme.

How drastically things can change.

Peeling off of each other, we watch the island as it disappears out of sight. As elated as I am, there’s some sadness in me, aching my bones like the chill in the air.

“I hope Byron is okay,” Lex whispers my exact thought. “And Felix…”

“Velle, Joy, and Rook… they’re badass motherfuckers,” I hum, forcing myself to believe the words I’m saying. “I’m sure they made it. They’ll be alright… They have to be.”

“A big chunk of our lives happened in that prison,” he whispers, squeezing my hand tight while the boat rocks. “Our relationship began there…”

I lift his hand to my lips, kissing his knuckles. “Here’s to chaotic beginnings… And the beauty of what comes next.”

He smiles, lighting up the sky like our fireworks.

Nestling him close, I clutch his body to mine as the waves pull us farther and farther out. For a while, we’re just coasting. It’s not smooth by any means, but part of me feels like the storm is bound to die down soon. Nearly an hour passes with Lex hugging onto me tight. I think he actually falls asleep for a bit.

But when the storm starts raging again, we’re right back to hanging on with white knuckles.

Our tiny boat is jumping and soaring, each wave bigger than the last. And of course, the damn thing had no lifejackets in it…

I’m trying to stay calm, for Lex, because I know he’s afraid. He hasn’t been on many boats in his life, that much is clear. But regardless of my very limited knowledge of sailing, I can’t deny that being out here in the middle of the ocean, without a clue as to where we’re going or where we’ll end up, is daunting. Even if I wanted to try to paddle us in a specific direction right now, I wouldn’t be able to.