Page 68 of Bound By Thorns
“Does it hurt…” he asked softly, referring to the bandage, “looking at the stab wound?”
I closed my eyes, my chin wobbling, and nodded shakily.
“Now,” he breathed, “imagine how I felt when I hurt you a thousandfold. This wound is nothing, Chaos. I’mokay.”
His words lightened the heavy load on my heart somewhat, but I absorbed the deeper meaning behind them. He still blamed himself for the pain he caused me. Before I could respond, he leaned in and kissed me. His lips were soft yet determined, as if he intended to imprint himself on me, to claim my mouth—andme—as his own.
The kiss ended all too soon, a grin spreading across his face. “I have a surprise for you.”
After we dressed, he led me through the hallway and across the glass bridge to the other building. We went up a floor, and he paused in front of a door. “This is where Zarek and Leora live,” he said, then gently turned me by the shoulders to face the door across the hall. “And this…” he continued, “is where we will be moving in.”
Shock surged through me, mingling with a jolt of excitement. I turned to face him, searching his eyes for certainty. Did he just ask me to move in with him?
“Logan,” I whispered.
“I know what you’re going to say. And maybe itistoo soon. But I don’t want to go back to my room every time I need to get dressed or grab my gun. I want to wake up next to you. And this is a good next step, Chaos,” he said, his chuckle resonating with warmth, “Even Dr. Mendoza reluctantly approved.”
“She did?” I asked, surprised. He simply nodded, his grin spreading wide.
He guided me inside the apartment after unlocking the door. It was a sleek, modern space, with shelves brimming with books that added a homely touch. A suede blue couch sat on one side, facing a large TV, and the kitchen boasted glossy white cabinets with a stunning marble-top island. The expansive L-shaped floor-to-ceiling windows offered views half toward the courtyard and half toward the lush rooftop garden. It was mesmerizing, pulling me in—a stark contrast to the transient hotel room we were staying in. I was instantly in love with it.
Logan led us to the bedroom, which was even more beautiful with its light-colored walls and a sturdy wooden bed frame. The closet was enormous, with ample shelves on both sides for both of our clothes.
I smiled up at Logan, a playful spark in my eyes. “You know, we could break in the bed in about four days.”
Logan returned the smile, but then a dull hue took over his blue eyes. “We don’t have to do anything until you’re totally ready.”
My smile faltered, and I sighed heavily. “I just want to be with you. To feel you, everywhere.” Then my smile returned, lighter this time, “It’ll be easy since you’re already monopolizing my mind.”
He chuckled at that. “Whatever you wish.”
He then enveloped me in a tight hug, his lips pressed to my forehead. The silence stretched on, ours hearts beating wildly out of our chests. He finally whispered. “Let’s heal together, Chaos.”
After the tour, we walked back to the previous building and fell into our usual routine of light-hearted chatter over breakfast. Soon, we would be assembling in the command center to lay out the plan of action for Operation Tantalus.
???
“Eagle?” Zane threw out the suggestion, his voice tinged with frustration.
“Nope!” Amelia quickly shot it down. “That was my drone’s name.”
We had already cycled through over five names for the new squad set to join Blackthorn Security. The original elite squad, led by Sebastian and including Zane, Delara, and Ronan, was known as ‘Team Onyx’. They seldom used the name since their missions often required them to operate separately, but the team was still active. Sebastian and Zarek hadn’t yet arrived at the command center, and the rest of us were trying to inject some fun into the naming process.
“How about Shadow? Works with Ghost, considering Zarek will be the lead,” Dylan suggested.
Delara immediately grunted in disapproval. “That’s my call sign. It’ll be confusing.”
A collective eye roll went around the room. Naming the team that would eventually merge with Onyx for Operation Tantalus—the critical mission to take down Garret Tyson—was proving to be a challenge.
“Fine, Ghost it is,” Logan declared, slapping the table for emphasis. “We keep circling back to it anyway. I’d even propose we change Onyx to Black. Black ops, Ghost Ops? Anyone?”
Dylan chuckled. “It’s not World War Two, you know.”
“Might as well be,” I muttered under my breath, drawing surprised looks from everyone. I sank back into my seat, not expecting such a strong reaction.
“What was that?” Logan pressed, leaning in.
“Just saying,” I shrugged, feeling the eyes on me, “if Garret, Robert, and Gao have roped in the two largest economies, it might as well be a world war.”
