Slowly, Dominic turned to me, eyes wide with disbelief. He ignored the barrel of my gun completely, only looked at me like he couldn’t decide what to make of me still.Join the club, I thought to myself.
I didn’t move. I didn’t blink. I didn’t say anything—I’d been very clear already. And by God, I was going to call the ODP if he so much as turned his back on me. I wouldn’t hesitate.
But then he spoke. “I’m here because I need the drug.”
My stomach twisted and turned. Just the answer I knew he was going to give me but still hoped he wouldn’t.
“Why?” I said through gritted teeth, even though it didn’t really matter. But I just needed a minute to think.
“Because I’mfree,” he said through gritted teeth.
I shook my head. “You’re not free—you’rehigh. There’s a difference.” I shouldn’t have to tell him what drugs do to a person, damn it.
“But it works,” he said, leaning closer and closer to me until I had no choice but to lower my gun.
“This is stupid and you know it.” How could he not see that for himself?
“Do you have any idea what it’s like to have a monster inside you that wants to break you open constantly?” he said in a whisper so low, I barely made out the words. The look in his eyes was murderous, especially when they looked completely black now because there was no light around us. I moved away until my back was pressed to the container, but he kept on coming. “He’s relentless. I can’t think. I can’t sleep. I can’t be around anyone.” Every word was laced with so much pain and anger, the weight of it pressed on my shoulders, making my knees shake.
“It’s dangerous,” I whispered. “It’s adrug, Dominic.”
“I don’t care,” he spit.
“Of course, you care! You candiefrom it.”
Closing his eyes, he put a hand on the wall of the container right by my head. “Fuck, Teddybear—I don’tcare. It’s the only way he shuts up. Do you understand me?” He forced the words out, and when he opened his eyes again, I saw his pain reflected in them a second before he composed himself. His other hand reached up and touched my cheek, and instead of slapping it away like I should have, I involuntarily leaned my head against it. “I can’t control him on my own anymore. I just need a little help for a little while, that’s all.”
I felt it the moment I caved—Iheardthe sound of it echoing in my mind.Damn you, Dominic Dane.How the hell was I supposed to stop him now? How was I going to ignore the pain in his eyes, in his words, and call this in? Report him, like I should have? Like aprofessionalagent would do without hesitation?
Closing my eyes, I tried to expel the guilt as quickly as I could while he ran his fingers over my cheek, then the tip of his nose touched my head, and he inhaled deeply. No—hesniffedme.
Then growled.
“One wrong move and I’m calling it in,” I said, my voice shaking, my pathetic attempt to hold my shit together slipping from my fingers instantly.
He put his fingers under my chin and raised my head until I met his eyes. What the hell did he even see there that had him looking so confused again, so surprised his eyes were wide open?
“Don’t raise your gun at me again if you don’t want me to rip your clothes off, Teddybear.”
Every inch of me was covered in goose bumps by the time he stepped away and took his hand off my face. Fuck, I was going to collapse on the deck any second. How did he even do this to me? Where did he get all that power?
Rip my clothes off? Was he serious?
No. Now was not the time to question my reaction to him, not when he started walking slowly around the container. I had no choice but to follow him, my gun in hand, my focus only half of what it was minutes ago. It occurred to me that I’d regret this, possibly by the time I went back to my apartment, but I already knew that he wasn’t going to walk away. And I wasn’t about to leave him alone.
So, I followed him, my footsteps barely there, until we turned the corner of the second row of containers. Still, nobody came. I moved slowly to the first container on the row painted red, still trying my best to stop being so aware of Dominic’s every move. I’d been in this same place before, distracted from work by the wolf-ass. I’d handled it then. I’d survived. I could do it again. I would force myself to keep my mind on what we were doing until it worked—no other options were available.
I touched the cold handle of the container’s lock, feeling it for traces of magic, or anything else that might be on them, but I felt nothing. That didn’t mean much, though—feeling magic when it was designed to stay hidden wasn’t on my list of abilities, but before I could pull the handle and see what was inside, Dominic moved.
He ran lightning fast to the container, just as I heard the footsteps, and a voice calling out. Heart in my throat, I raised my gun and ran, too, only to see Dominic behind the man, twisting his head to the side so fast, I barely saw the movement. The eyes of the man rolled in his skull before they closed and his body let go of him, his neck broken. The gun that had been in his hand hit the floor with a loud thud.
“Shit,” Dominic said before he let go of the body.
And we heard the footsteps of the others, too.
“Run!” he shouted, and started moving ahead, behind the third row of containers,deeperinto the ship instead of turning back. Gunshots in the air. My steps didn’t even falter until Dominic turned the fifth row of containers and slammed onto a man just as big as him.
And he wasn’t alone.