Page 27 of Lethal Threat

“You don’t have to lie to me.”

She’s not a burden, but the stress is building. And her thinking she’s a burden seriously pisses me off. No one should feel that way. “It’s not a lie.”

“Clearly you’re upset about something.”

“I’m upset that you’re injured.”

She falls silent and I chew myself up for making this more of a mess than it has to be.

I could come clean. But then the odds of getting her home where I can look out for her would be zero.

A warm but clearly tentative hand wraps around myforearm, drawing me back. “I want to know who you are. Can you please just tell me aboutyourlife?”

That plea gets me. “I was a medic, technically a Pararescuer with the Air Force. But I just started a new civilian job,” I tell her without taking my eyes from the stop and go traffic. “Going to be working for a private security and hostage rescue company. My boss is giving me some time off before I start to take care of you, but soon, I’ll start training with the team.”

Again, her mood seems to fall, if the tone of her voice is any sign. “Sorry to be a burden.”

That’s gotta stop.

“I’d never consider you a burden.”

“But something about taking care of me makes you uneasy.”

A whole fucking lot makes me uncomfortable. Taking care of her is not one of them. “Look, I want you well. I want us on good, solid ground.”

Softly, she says, “Me too. I’m lucky to have you.”

Fuck. Me.

I can’t stop the flinch. I definitely can’t defy the burn inside my lungs. A painful exhale leaves me feeling jagged and raw.

“I’m lucky to have you, babe.”

Her hand leaves my arm and cool air slices through the skin making the nerves tingle.

After that, I lock my shit down. Muscles tight, jaw clenched, I shut the pain behind a steel door.

This is about her. Not me.

Right. Lie to yourself more, fool.

Taking the curves too fast, I drive us right to her place. No navigation needed. I’ve been there plenty.

Pulling into the parking lot of her apartment complexlot makes my stomach roll and raises my heart rate. So many memories were made inside those walls.

This is the very same place where we had six months of scorching, raw, carnal, sleepless nights.

And… the very same place where our brief relationship devolved into a disastrous night.

An arrest.

A screaming fight.

I thought both of us would carry those memories to our graves.

“Is this it?”Sierra asks as she leans up to peer out the windshield.

“Yeah,” I reply with my sense of dread growing. But there’s no stopping this train now, no matter how much I want to turn around and drive far away from this place.