“You say that like I’m actually interested in watching you strip,” Cass fires back, but he turns to face the wall regardless. “I got my fill of half-naked hunters with phallic objects out on the training grounds, thanks.”
JJ’s stomach lurches. “You were watching me train?”
He can hear the scowl in Cass’s voice. “Not by choice. I couldn’t figure out how to get you away from Locke without causing a scene.”
JJ shoves down the ridiculous—and mortifying—urge to ask Cass if he liked what he saw. Hastily, he swaps out his sweaty workout gear for civilian clothes, does a quick mental check to make sure all his skin is covered, and strides over to Cass’s side. “Ready.”
“Wait.” Cass’s jaw works. “Leave your cell phone here.”
JJ’s hackles rise. “What? Why?”
“Because I’m taking you to myhouse,Jackson,” Cass snaps. “Not my safe house. Myhouse.I don’t want to wake up to a Sanctum raid, thank you very much.”
JJ valiantly tries to beat down his temper. “I wouldn’t do that to Desi.”
“No, you wouldn’t,” Cass agrees. His smile is flat. “Just to me, right?”
“I—” To JJ’s surprise, the idea of siccing a strike team on Cassius Chin makes him feel faintly queasy. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
Cass’s expression shifts. “What do you?—?”
“Crying child,Chin,” JJ repeats, exasperated. He digs his cell phone out of his pocket, tosses it onto his bed, and gestures pointedly at the space between them. “There. No more cell phone. Rift?”
Cass’s eyebrows are still pulled together. “Rift,” he agrees eventually, and he snaps his fingers. A shimmer of purple-gold instantly lights up between them, and Cass unexpectedly reaches out, grabbing JJ’s elbow to guide him through.
It’s probably a bad sign that JJ doesn’t even think about fighting back.
12
Cass can hear Desi still crying even before he steps through the rift to her bedroom. “Cass,” she sniffles, looking up with watery eyes, and then:“JJ!”
JJ crosses the room in a flash, sliding onto her bed and reaching out. Desi throws herself into his waiting arms with a fresh wave of tears, burying her face in his scarf, and JJ meticulously adjusts the fabric to cover his exposed skin before pulling her closer.
Being extra careful after seeing what his touch did to Cass. For some reason, the little motion makes Cass’s chest ache.
“It’s okay,” JJ whispers into her hair, gently swaying back and forth. “You’re okay now, Desi. He can’t hurt you anymore—noneof them can hurt you anymore, okay? No one’s ever going to make you do anything you don’t want to do ever again. Cass and I are going to protect you, okay? I promise.”
Cass’s heart jumps into his throat. JJ doesn’t seem to notice, his attention focused on comforting Desi as her sobs slowly start to die down.
“Cass and I are going to keep you safe, okay?” JJ murmurs. Like it’s just sosimplefor him to refer to the two of them as a team, as both being equally invested in this little girl they’ve grown to love. “We’re always going to protect you.”
Swallowing hard, Cass steps forward, running his knuckles down Desi’s cheek. JJ twitches when Desi squirms in his arms, turning her big eyes on Cass.
“Always,” Cass confirms quietly, dropping a light kiss onto her forehead. “Nothing bad is ever going to get to you while JJ and I are around, okay? Neverever.”
He shoots a quick glance up at JJ, meeting his eyes. There’s something very soft and verystillon JJ’s face, like he’s hovering on the edge of saying something, like he just now realized something important?—
Like their murmured promises feel like they’re for more than just Desi. Because they’re going to protect Desi, of course, going to make sure she’s safe and loved and happy, but they’re going to do ittogether.
It’s a promise to each other, too.
JJ breaks eye contact first, shifting Desi in his arms. “Desi, do you want to hug Cass for a little while?” he whispers.
Desi sniffles, turning back to JJ and nuzzling into his collar again. A little stung, Cass is just about to give them some privacy when Desi reaches out, grabs his sleeve in one small hand, and tries to tug him closer. “Yeah,” she mumbles.
JJ’s eyes snap up to meet Cass’s. Like smoke off a match, his words from earlier drift through Cass’s head.
Well, she loves you, too.
