Page 64 of Bound By Thorns
Zane looked surprised, but it was Zarek who responded. “Actually, there’s a last name that stood out—Romano.”
Leora chimed in skeptically, “Romano is pretty common, though.”
“Romano? What’s special about that?” I inquired, intrigued.
“Casteel and Calzone Romano were Garret Tyson’s nephews, and Squad Six targets, but they’re both dead now,” Logan explained, his voice steady.
“We’ll look into it. But our main focus needs to stay on locating Garret’s new base of operations. I’m betting he’s still somewhere in the States,” added Sebastian confidently.
Logan’s expression hardened. “Wherever he is, he’s mine to take down.”
Kabir gave Logan a look of both respect and amusement. The table fell silent for a moment, absorbing the weight of his words,until Kabir broke the tension. “You’re looking good, Kaylan. Need any help with your dressing?”
Logan shot him a warning look and I suppressed a smile. “No, got it taken care of this morning,” I replied.
“Is that so?” Kabir grinned, not missing a beat.
Logan cleared his throat and turned to me. “Need some coffee?”
I smiled up at him, appreciative. “Sure.”
He stood, hesitated as if mulling over something. He murmured something under his breath and leaned down to give me a quick, tender kiss on the lips.
He was quick to walk away before anyone could react. I glanced around the table to see various expressions; some were grinning, others smiling, and Kabir was outright laughing with his fist on his forehead.
“And he calledmea ‘territorial ass’,” Zarek quipped, shaking his head in amusement, drawing a giggle from Leora.
Breakfast wrapped up quickly. The team split off, with Kabir, Zane, and Amelia heading to the command center. Delara and I decided to hit the gun range; I needed to shake off the rust. Logan, meanwhile, headed off to his therapy session but not before promising to meet up with me later, a promise he sealed with a quick, affirming kiss.
Logan
“Let’s talk about the fact that you let her stab you,” Dr. Mendoza began, her voice steady and coaxing.
I sighed, “I just want to talk about Kaylan and how I can fix us. She’s still wary,” I said, the words feeling inadequate even as they left my mouth.
She tapped her pen against her notepad lightly. “So, you don’t want to talk about yourself, but rather Kaylan. Is it because you feel you were selfish before you learned about her ordeal?”
I clenched my fists, the memory of Kaylan’s pain twisting in my gut. “I hurt her, Dr. Mendoza. I said vile things to her. I strangled her. I called her a whore. The list is pretty fucking long,” I confessed, the words tasting bitter.
“The way you’re feeling right now, is it because she saved you?” she probed further.
“I’m not sure,” I murmured, my voice barely a whisper.
“When you first saw her at Ravenrock Hall, did you think she was going to help you? Did you put your faith in her?”
“Yes,” I admitted, remembering the flicker of hope that had sparked within me at her sight.
“And when she didn’t help you, for a month, did you lose that faith?”
“Yes,” I said, the acknowledgement heavier than I expected.
“But she did save you. Did you start to trust her then?”
“I trust her now,” I replied quickly, too quickly.
“But, between the time she saved you and the time you learned the truth, did you trust her then?”
I paused, searching the recesses of my fragmented memories. “I don’t remember… maybe no.”
