Page 99 of Shadowed Sins: Nitro

The sun sets behind glass towers, painting everything gold and shadow. Evening means returning to the safehouse. To thin walls and knowing looks from the team. To that tiger on my nightstand, watching me pretend I haven't already surrendered completely.

"You've been running defense since the pier."

His observation stops me mid-step.

"Using investigation work to rebuild walls I tore down." He studies me with uncomfortable accuracy. "Except it's not working, is it? You're falling apart worse than before."

"Investigation urgency created operational necessity—"

"Asher says you've been in the gym at 4am every morning. Cole mentioned you've reorganized the entire intelligence database twice. Asked if we need 'protocols,' like we're a mission parameter to manage. Remy bought noise-canceling headphones after walking past your door at 3am when we were both pretending to get water."

Heat crawls up my neck. They all see it. All know exactly how badly I'm failing at professional distance.

"Vanessa asked if she should hack the hotel reservations, get us rooms on different floors for the next safehouse," he continues. "Even Kade, before he left, mentioned something about 'maintaining operational efficiency despite personal dynamics.' Translation: stop eye-fucking each other during briefings."

"Tomorrow's briefing—"

"Tomorrow's briefing won't change anything." He moves closer, voice dropping low enough that only I can hear. "You'll sit across from me in that conference room, wearing another scarf to hide marks that are almost gone, that tiger hidden in your room like a dirty secret, and we'll both pretend this is sustainable."

"It has to be."

"Why?" The simple question destroys every defense I've built.

"Because the alternative is admitting I need you." The words escape before I can stop them. "That three nights ago fundamentally broke something in me that can't be fixed. That I'm yours in ways that terrify me."

His pupils dilate, and I can see him fighting the urge to grab me right here on the street.

"Mira—"

"Mission parameters don't include personal complications." I force myself to step back, to rebuild distance that feels like agony. "Roman's rescue requires focus."

"Roman's rescue requires us functional." His jaw tightens. "And you haven't been functional for three days."

He's right. I've been spiraling, drowning in work to avoid drowning in him. But it's not working. Nothing's working.

"I should go." I turn toward the safehouse. "Process today's intelligence. Update the target matrices."

"Run away, you mean." His voice follows me. "Just like the pier."

I stop but don't turn around. "I'm protecting us both."

"From what?"

From the truth that I'm already yours. Have been since that first night. Will be until this destroys us both.

"From me," I say simply, and walk away before he can respond.

The safehouse is quiet when I return. Cole nods from his computer station. Asher glances up from cleaning his weapon, expression knowing. Remy's door is closed but I hear music, he's giving me space to pass without interaction.

They all know. Can probably smell him on me even though we haven't touched in three days.

My room feels too small, too warm. The tiger stares at me from the nightstand, synthetic fur catching lamplight. Evidence of surrender I can't quite hide, can't quite display.

I pick it up, run my fingers through rough orange stripes. It still smells faintly of salt air and pier wood. Of the night I discovered I get off on vulnerability. On being owned.

A knock at my door makes me jump.

"It's open."