Page 31

Engaged? Since when? How did I miss this?

This is disaster waiting to happen.

I imagine Blithes face when he finds out the love of his life has went and gotten himself married, all the while he’s being tortured in prolonged captivity.

I wince.

I remember B telling me the story of the first kiss they shared and how he thought he was going to float away.

I wince.

Restless, I begin to pace, as I try to conjure up some way to fix this catastrophe.

I could illuminate him. My head tips side to side as I contemplate that wonderful idea. Blithe is everything to me and I’d destroy this Remi, if it ensured his happiness.

For the first time since arriving in Array, I consider telling Ressyn everything.

That B is alive, well, and simply waiting.

That as soon as I have his location, I'll destroy any obstacle to get to him.

Then I remember Blithes pleading eyes when he begged me to get myself and Anya out of there as he took those bullets in our stead.

There isn’t a single part of me that’s ever-considered B to be dead.

That isn’t his style.

He enjoys the harm, the heal and the power. Even so I cannot say I'm 100% certain that he still breathes. Not only that, but he specifically asked me not to tell Ressyn, just in case he never makes it out alive.

“Hey...”

Arms circle my waist from behind and Creeks breath fans my ear. “What the hell is happening right now”, he whispers.

Shaking those crazy thoughts away, I shift in his arms and flash him a reassuring smile.

“Nothing Flower. I have to go though, thanks for having me over”, I pause, biting my lip. “And thanks for... Everything else.”

Before I can talk myself out of it, I pull myself up on my toes and give him a quick peck on the lips.

My cheeks heats as I dart away from him, assuring Ressyn that I'll fix our mistake without waiting for a response.

I faintly hear, “Did a kiss just make him blush?”

Although I'm not sure who it comes from, I'm surprised my face hasn’t caught fire by now. My heart swells and spills over when I hear Creek respond, “Don't be ridiculous.”

That’s the second time he’s stuck up for me in the span of two days and I have to fight the sting behind my eyes.

∞∞∞

“There’s nothing here, I don't understand what the fuck could have happened, and the damn cameras have been wiped.”

Creek runs a frustrated hand through the dark stands on top of his head. He’s normally so formal and put together, so this disheveled look worries me. I wish I could take all of his stress away and burn it to ash.

We didn’t find anything at the first warehouse either. No clues, no survivors, everything is bare. Even the toilet paper is missing out of the restroom, and I had to stifle my laughter when Creek glared at me.

“We’ll figure it out Flower, I promise.”

I reach for his hand and intertwine our fingers. He says I'm his and he's mine so that means I get to touch him whenever I want to. I want to always be touching him, it cannot be stopped, this beautiful feeling.

“Yeah”, he says, but doesn't sound convinced. “Come on, let’s check over here, then we’ll head out.”

He leads us across the empty space. Opening a door off to the side, we both jump back when a body falls face first into the pavement at our feet.

“Holy shit, that scared me”, I breathe.

“Don't worry baby, I'll protect you.”

Even though his words are said in a joking manner, looking into his eyes, I can see that he means it. And that just does something to me. Something he wouldn’t understand.

“I’d let you”, I whisper, my voice cracking movingly.

I'm not sure what my expression reads, but his eyes soften before he turns his attention back to the matter at hand. Using the toe of his shoe, he pushes the body onto it's back and my eyes bulge right out of my head, the same time that Creeks body stiffens.

I meet his wary gaze and my chest plummets. He hasn’t looked at me like that in a while and my mind begins to spiral.

“Creek, this wasn’t me, I swear.”

His eyes shift between me, and the devil carved into the dead man’s forehead. It's an exact replica of my work.

He takes a step back, and I follow because fuck that, we aren’t doing this again. “Then who would have done this? With your signature weird shit all over it”, he asks, and I flinch.

Despite his hurtful words, I try again. “I don't know Flower... Truly, could be anybody”, I shrug. “But it wasn’t me. I’d never do something like this to you and your family. I mean come on; you should know this by now.”

I won't beg. I tell myself I won't beg this man for anymore scraps because every time I surrender myself to him, he takes piece after piece away from me when I leave. And I'm fine with that, but I won't tolerate him stomping all over them again.

He sighs, head tipped back on his shoulders. “You’re right, I'm sorry for questioning you.”

“Okay”, is all I'm capable of, considering his question of my character after all this time hurts.

He must recognize that since he cradles me in his arms soon after, nails lighting trailing against my scalp and he whispers another apology against my neck. “Let’s get out of here.”