Page 120 of Pretty Broken Wings

I eye the book. I love the way old books smell.

“What did you want to be?” Gage asks, handing the book to me.

I look at him.

“When you grew up? What did you want to be?”

I shrug, taking the book and giving it a quick sniff. It smells amazing. Then I turn back to the books, staring at them so I don’t have to look at Gage.

I wanted to be a princess when I was really young. Then, a badass superhero. Then, a librarian. I just say, “Oh, you know. The normal girl stuff.”

Gage grabs another book, opening and closing it to get the crinkle. “What’s normal girl stuff?”

Oh god. He’s going to make me say it, isn’t he?

“Princesses and shit.” My face burns. “It’s stupid.” Princesses are a fairytale, and an even bigger fairytale is the princes who save them. It’s just not how the world works, as much as my fucking childhood self wanted it to.

“Not more stupid than wanting to ride a rhinorse into battle.”

I glance at Gage. “A what?”

Gage looks my way, an eyebrow raised. “Princesses don’t have rhinorses?”

I’m about to cross my arms when Gage waves a hand in the air, “Half-rhino, half-horse. It’s kinda a staple for badasses. At least, it was in my mind.” Gage sighs dramatically. “Imagine my distress when I found out they weren’t real.”

I snort, then look at him when he’s facing the books again. He looks hot, combing along the spines gently. This is such a different side to him than the grumpy asshole who hired me.

I turn back to the books, breathing in a deep breath, and realize that, at this moment, I’m comfortable. For a minute, the fear and panic that follow me everywhere just… disappears. I look for it, but I feel nothing but peace among the pages and the man beside me.

It’s then that I see something on the shelf that makes me suck in a breath.

CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO

Raven makes a sound that makes all the blood rush to my dick. It’s a little gasp for air that I want her to do over and over. Then, I hear a book sliding off the shelf.

“Oh my god.”

“What?”

“Is it…” Raven trails off, and pages feather against her fingers. “No way.”

“What is it?” What in the hell has her making that sound? Whatever it is, I’m going to buy a million of them.

“A collector’s edition.” Raven’s voice is full of unrestrained wonder, and it makes my heart beat faster.

“What book?”

“The Unseen Hand. It was my favorite book as a kid.”

Her favorite book? I lock onto that detail like it’s food and I’m starving to death. I’ve been dying to ask Raven everything about herself, but I don’t want to scare her off. I try to play it cool. “What’s it about?”

“A girl who acts like a boy back when women had no power, and that wasn’t allowed. Because she wasn’t raised like society wanted, she was sassy and aggressive and got what she wanted.” There’s so much passion in Raven’s voice that it’s like the book has unlocked a portal to her soul. She sounds so goddamn beautiful right now.

“It sounds amazing.”

“And the cool thing is, it’s old as fuck.” I can practically see the sparkle in her eyes. “There’s a lot of religion in it, but in the end, it was a story about a girl who found her power and never let it go, even when they tried to take it from her.”

“It sounds really good. Get it.”