Page 42 of Rogue Mission

Yeah, you did this, big guy. It’s real now. You did this to her, and now what? You gonna put the shield back up, or are you man enough to see where this can go?

I avert my gaze, stomach sinking as I put the condom in a paper napkin and tuck myself back into my pants.

“You good?” I struggle for what to say.

She cups my face, forcing me to look at her. “Don’t you dare make this weird.”

When she smiles at me, I swallow flaming glass. Together, we find her dress and help her back into it, careful of her ribs, taking time for a few brief kisses along the way.

“We need to get out of here,” I rumble, adjusting my briefs again—there’s still a lot of blood down there. “Because you’re already making me hard again.”

She’s grinning sheepishly, wearing a freshly-fucked blush when I climb out first.

Like a bolt of lightning slamming down on me, I’m instantly in protective mode, scanning the area with practiced precision before helping her out.

Beast is standing a tactful distance away, his expression carefully neutral.

“All clear?” I ask, all business now.

“For now.” He lifts his chin. “But I have some intel.”

Fuck. Just what we need.

I keep Rosalie close as we head toward the warehouse, my hand resting on the small of her back. Her skin is warm through the fabric, sending energy up my arm.

We are fire. Plain and simple. I’ve handled explosives that are less volatile.

We crossed a line. Opened a door that can’t be closed. The consequences may be catastrophic. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

Rosalie feels right. Like the missing piece I didn’t know I was looking for.

“Justice?” She looks up at me as we reach the door. “Whatever you’re thinking right now, stop. I can see you spiraling.”

That’s another problem—how transparent I am to her. I exhale a stuttering breath, searching for a steady keel.

“I understand that you’re scared of failure.” She stops, forcing me to stop too as Beast steps back inside the building.After she watches the door close, she continues. “I understand that you think you’re going to fail me somehow.”

“You’re not allowed to read my mind—it’s dangerous in there,” I reply roughly. “The baggage I’m carrying would sink a battleship.”

“Well, I’ve got my own. So we can just load up the boat.”

God. She’s unbelievable. Her strength.

Pressing my thumb into my brow, I look away, pain like a knife wound in my throat. “You deserve better.”

But when she should agree, she threads her fingers through mine. “Better than the man who saved my life? Or the man who just rocked my world in a backseat because neither of us could wait another second? I think that would be hard to find. The sea is full of minnows, Justice, and you’re an apex predator.”

There’s a hard truth in her statement. Rosalie has no idea how much of an apex predator I am when it comes to her safety.

The warehouse door opens, and Truck appears, taking one look at us and shaking his head playfully. “You two coming? We’ve got something to discuss, and you’re the topic.”

SEVENTEEN

The warehouse is much more ominous on the inside than it looked from the car. The dark space snaps closed around us the moment we step inside.

There’s a hum of electrical energy. It’s a familiar feeling from working labs, but this is not a sterile environment with gleaming surfaces.

This is controlled chaos in dark shades with a beehive of activity, all focused on packing equipment.