Page 58 of Lethal Vengeance

After a few minutes, he pulls back a few inches.

I reluctantly open my eyes and drop my head back to meet his grey stare.

“Whether you like it or not, you’re a part of this team. We don’t hide things from each other. If you’re going to deviate from the mission plan, it’s your responsibility to inform the lead. That’s me, in case you’re wondering. You should have told me you were staying,” he says gruffly.

When I say nothing, he sighs. “I know I’ve been a pushy asshole. It’s a bad trait, but you’ll get used to it. Eventually. Our team works because we respect each other. Got it?” His grey eyes are like flint, hard and unyielding, but his hands stroke softly down my back.

“You’re not the only one on this team who has gone off alone to take care of something. It seems to be a pre-requisite for us,” he adds with a chuckle, looking pointedly at Cruz.

The thought of being a part of them is so tempting, I can’t breathe. I can’t…

Large hands wrap around my arms to hold me away from him. “Did you hear me? Youarea part of this team. Do whatever you need to do. Leave the rest to us. We’ll help you find your way.” His deep voice is steady and reassuring. “Just don’t shut us out. Deal?”

Do I take him up on his offer? “What if you don’t like what I have to say? Or the things I do?”

This is already eating my soul. I can’t afford to let someone chip away at the rest of me.

A wry smile appears. “We’ll talk about it. All of us, not just me. In the end, we all choose to stay. Nobody makes us.”

Unconditional acceptance? Is there such a thing? Besides my family, I’ve never felt it from others. My entire life, I fought so hard to be the best and make everyone proud of me. But when I needed my friends and colleagues the most, they abandoned me. I search his grey eyes. Will they do the same?

His eyes drop down to my abdomen and harden. “How badly are you hurt?”

My face warms. “Sore, but bearable, especially after applying Raider’s miracle cream. Where does he get that stuff, anyway?”

He lifts a shoulder. “A shop in Africa, I believe.” His hands slide up my shoulders to cup my jaw, and he bends down to stare directly into my eyes. “Concentrate on what you need to do. Be transparent. Trust us to have your back. That’s it.” Grey eyes search my face, filling with relief when I slowly nod.

“Okay. We’ll start with transparency and see how it goes,” I concede, unwilling to commit a hundred percent without proof, especially from him.

He straightens. “We’re planning tomorrow’s attack. Grab something to eat and don’t forget to say hi to Sterling. He’s been very worried about you and Raider,” he orders softly. Placing a kiss on my temple, he points me toward the corner, then strides back to the group.

When I glance in that direction, I find Sterling seated in front of a computer with a blond woman bent over his shoulder, looking at the screen. My stomach twists, making me frown. Wondering who she might be, I walk over to the fair couple.

She turns.

“Margot? What are you doing here? Did something happen?” I ask, surprised to see the young woman still here.

She smiles. “Saving the others, getting revenge, and other stuff. The usual.” Her eyes narrow as she studies me. “Why did you stay?”

Her confidence comes across in spades. Even Aria didn’t have this level of command. “Samantha Baston, vengeance, and stuff,” I reply with a shrug. “Those people, the women… they’re lucky to have you on their side.” I mean it, too. The fierce determination shining on her face tells me how far she’ll go to save them. Someone needs to care, and it can’t be me.

I reach around her to tap Sterling on the shoulder.

He slides the headset off one ear. “What is it? Do you see a gap?”

“There’s a room missing from your model. Right here,” I tell him, pointing to an area in the back. “Roughly ten by ten, tiled…”

Mmph.

Like he did in the tunnels, he wraps his entire body around mine. I wince, but when I see the pinched look in his eyes, I hold back the grunt of pain. The past has been riding him hard.

“Hello, gorgeous,” I tease him with his own words. “Does this mean you missed me?”

His finger sweeps a lock of hair behind my ear. “I was ready to storm the castle to get you out.” Worried green eyes stare down at me. “Are you okay?”

I give him a half-smile. “So, so. A few bruises.”

He holds me out in front of him and scans my body. When he doesn’t find anything, he reaches for the hem of my shirt.