I can't tell what he's looking at as I can only see her pinkening face around him, but when he steps back, he lifts a finger to trace a chain hanging from her neck. My stomach drops as I recognize the engagement ring he got her right before we took the assignment. She’s going to choose him.
Distraught, I back away before she can notice I'm there. My back bumps into a solid mass, stopping my retreat.
"I didn't take you for a coward, Em." Brade's accusation is reminiscent of what I'd said to Lark not long ago, but this is a very different thing.
"She's wearing his ring," I hiss as I turn to face him.
His face darkens. "She's what?" I nod. Now he gets it. “The hell she is." I don't try to stop him as he stalks around me. "Birdie! You want to explain something?"
I follow, only close enough to see what happens. Lark is bewildered— and so is Rex. Simultaneously, they speak.
"You didn't tell him?"
"Rex! I thought you talked to them about this!"
Groaning, I sink my head in my hands before finding my balls and approaching them. "Woman, I hope you plan on four more of those, or Rex might have to disappear." Brazen as all get out, I tremble on the inside as I wait for her response.
My hellcat puts her hands on her hips and cocks her head. “I hope you plan on buying a promise ring and asking nicely, Emmett Jacob-- right before you shove it up your ass!
Oh, shit. She knows my middle name. I glare at my partner, who had to have spilled the beans at some point, and wince internally at my mistake. Trying to backtrack-- I throw Braeden under the bus. “Hey, he’s the one that said you had some explaining to do.”
Braeden’s glare is added to the one Lark is directing at me as he flips me off behind her back. Wisely, Rex is staying out of it.
“You’re the chicken shit that was running away when you thought it was an engagement ring, so I don’t know why you think you have any room to talk, Emmett Jacob.” The taunt hits its mark, but the guilt and sadness written all over Lark’s face takes precedence.
“Is this a deal-breaker, Em?” she nearly whispers as she holds the ring aloft on its chain.
Feeling like a complete asshole, usually Rex’s territory, I try to fix the mess I’ve caused. “Of course not. Well, as long as you’re not cutting the rest of us out because of it. You’re not, right?” She shakes her head in answer. “Then I’m cool with it. How about you, Braeden?” Least I can do is help him out at this point.
“I fully expect Birdie to have her cake and eat it too, so yes, I’m perfectly fine with that scenario.”
“We leave you alone for five minutes, and this is what we come back to,” Marcus says from behind me. “For the record, we choose the group option.” I don’t turn to look, but I assume he’s pointing between himself and Apollo. “Can we move into the room, or are we going to stand in the hall all night? I’m hungry, so let’s get this thing done.” With his declaration, Marcus moves around me and ushers the others inside to take seats.
Lark hangs back, waiting for me to come up last. “Hey,” she says softly, putting a hand to my cheek, and I rub the stubble that’s accumulated over her palm, making her smile. “Don’t doubt it, okay?” I’m sure I appear as confused as I feel. Huffing, she pulls the door shut, leaving the two of us alone in the hall. “I guess this is as good a place as any, seeing as how you started it out in the hall not too long ago. Although I had been hoping it would have been a bit different, just so you know.” She’s quiet for long enough that my confusion is turning into worry before she finally spits it out. “You already said it yourself--I’m totally in love with your Angelboy self, and now I’m admitting it.”
I cross my arms over my chest, kinda ticked off. “That’s how you tell me? That’s backhanded as fuck, Lark.”
She blanches, and for a second I wonder if I’ve pushed her away. Then she comes back blazing, cheeks tinted red with her annoyance. “You know damned well I suck at this mushy shit, and it’s times five! Five, Emmett. You all only really have to stress over once. I love you, is that better?”
She might have a point there, and again, I’m wincing, and this time it contorts my face. “You’re right. I wasn’t thinking. Again. But I’m very glad to hear it, you infuriating hellcat!” I lean down, kissing the daylights out of her before letting her come up for air. “I love you, too. Now let’s get in there before they come back. Yet again, we’ll put this on hold. Actually, I’m surprised one of them hasn’t come and gotten us already.”
Lark, being closest to the door, swings it open with her face turned back toward me— a smile on it. I’m returning it when my own freezes in horror at what she’s blindly walking into. And I can’t stop it.
Brent, obviously waiting for her, appears haggard as he turns the gun he’s holding from Apollo’s head to the doorway. Directly at Lark. He’s standing behind Apollo, and I know there’s no way I can get Lark and myself out of the way in time.
I try anyway, but Lark sees what’s happening too late, and the short time is enough for Brent to get a shot off. It goes wide as Apollo shoves back into him, and I'm able to pull Lark off to the side. I'm preparing to go back in with my own weapon at the ready when I hear several more shots and a suspicious thud.
Lark pauses in her sprint to the security room, turning back to look at me with helplessness clear in her eyes. I motion at her to keep going, but she shakes her head, and I give up, instead carefully edging around to peek inside the room.
Marcus is on the couch holding an arm, but Brent is on the floor in a growing puddle of his own blood. And Rex— well, my partner looks extremely shell-shocked. We've been trained, but I don't think he's ever actually taken a life, not even at The Facility. Strangely enough, that had been Braeden, along with Marcus and Apollo.
I motion Lark to come back, and when she comes into the room, she starts checking everyone over. As she passes Brent, she gives him a swift kick in the head, and at that Rex seems to snap out of it to stare incredulously at her before concern takes over.
"Babe, are you okay?" And then quickly following that, "Did you just kick him?"
"Yes, I'm fine, and yes, I did. Stupid fucker— him, not you. I'm assuming you're the one that is responsible for his lack of breathing?" Maybe she's met her threshold for crazy, but my hellcat isn't batting an eye other than being worried about her men. I'm not sure what to make of it but can't deal with it right now.
Rex is nodding shakily, and I step forward to help Marcus while motioning for Lark to sit with Rex. After directing Braeden to go get the first-aid kit, I check Marcus' upper arm, and it looks like the bullet just left a deep groove and didn't actually go through the middle.