"How long will you be gone?" she asked, her heart hammering.
"A few hours at most," he assured her. "The cabin is only about twenty miles from here."
She nodded, trying to be brave. "Okay. But you'd better come back in one piece."
A small smile curved his lips. "Is that concern I hear, baby girl?"
"Obviously," she retorted. "If you get yourself killed, who's going to protect me?"
His expression softened. "I'm coming back," he promised. "Count on it."
Before she could respond, he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers in a brief, fierce kiss. It was over almost before she realized it had begun. It was a flash of heat, a promise of more.
"For luck," he murmured, pulling back.
She stared up at him, speechless, her lips tingling from the contact.
"Now," he said, his voice returning to its commanding tone, "get what you need. You're going in the safe room until I return."
Still dazed from the unexpected kiss, she nodded and moved to gather a few items. The first things she grabbed was Mr. Flopsy & Ms. Uni, the snacks from the box Savannah sent, the coloring book and pencils. Comfort items, yes, but also distractions. Anything to keep her mind occupied while Blade put himself in danger.
For her. For Tim. For his club.
As he led her to the safe room, explaining the security measures one last time, she found herself studying his face, memorizing every line and angle. The scar through his left eyebrow. The slight crook in his nose, broken at least once. The fullness of his lips that had so briefly claimed hers.
"You have everything you need?" he asked, doing a final check of the safe room.
Not everything, she thought. Not you, safe here with me.
But she nodded. "I'll be fine."
"I know you will," he said. "You're stronger than you give yourself credit for, Lily."
"So are you," she replied. "But be careful anyway. Please."
He nodded once, then stepped back. "Remember, don't open the door for anyone but me. And if... if something goes wrong, if I don't come back by nightfall, call the Clubhouse on the satellite phone. Ask for Rampage or Savage, I trust them with my life.”
The thought of him not returning made her chest ache. "You'll come back," she insisted. "You promised."
A shadow of something—regret? fear? determination?—crossed his face. "I'll do my best," he amended. "That's all any of us can do."
A loud meow at his feet caught their attention. Both Macaroni and Cheese came into the room with her. “You won’t be alone after all,” he said. “Take care of my girl.”
With that, he closed the safe room door, leaving her alone with her thoughts and fears.
Through the small security monitor inside, she watched him move through the cabin, performing final checks before he left. His movements were precise, economical, almost like a predator preparing for the hunt.
And then he was gone, the cabin empty and silent.
Lily sank onto the small cot, the cats quickly joining her. She rubbed their heads as the ache of anticipation settled into her bones.
"Please come back," she whispered to the empty room. "Please come back to me."
Because somehow, in the span of less than three days, Blade had become essential to her in a way no one else had ever been. And the thought of losing him was more terrifying than any threat from Pedro's Rejects.
She just hoped she'd get the chance to tell him that.
CHAPTER 5
