“I’m not asking you to—”
“Just as I didn’t ask you to throw your life away for mine!”
I struggled to get my temper under control. This wasn’t how our reunion was supposed to go. We shouldn’t be fighting when he’d just woken up from being pushed to the brink, while he lay upon the stains of shed blood, while we honestly didn’t know how long our lives would last. “Sully…I had to come. I didn’t have a choice.”
“You did. You did have a choice. You could’ve chosen to obey me. At least you were out of his reach.”
“He would’ve found me if he wanted to. He knows my name. I would never have been safe.”
“Goddammit, why do you have to be so smart?” He threw his head back, his throat working as he swallowed. “Why can’t I win with you? All I wanted was to keep you safe. You are my top priority. My only priority. Yes, he could have found you if I failed to kill him, but you would’ve been surrounded by society and other people. You would’ve been a hell of a lot safer than here!”
“Hush.” I attempted to give each other sweetness and forget the sour. “It’s not worth arguing about. I’m here. We’re together. We can—”
“Damn you, woman.” His voice filled with a painful huskiness. “You’ve betrayed me in the worst possible way.”
“Betrayed you?” I sucked in another thin breath, my temper heating with injustice. I’d known he was stubborn. I knew we had similar fiery responses, but I didn’t think he’d be stupid enough to burn through whatever energy sleep had given him with accusations and slurs. “It’s not betrayal…it’s loyalty.”
“It’s insanity.”
“It’s necessity!” I twisted to face him as much as my binds would allow, glaring at the cotton over his eyes and the bruises shadowing his tanned skin. Just looking at him and imagining the torture he’d endured drowned my heart and made tears spring.
He was angry with me because he was afraid for me.
And I was angry with him because I hated that he was hurt.
Our rage wasn’t meant for each other, but that bastard who’d done this to us.
Damn you, too, Sully.
I didn’t ask for this.
I didn’t ask to fall so stupidly hard that I’ll literally do anything to keep you safe.
I sniffed back my sadness, forcing myself to remain as silent as I could. He couldn’t know I was crying, couldn’t know I churned with compassion, pity, and a decent dose of regret.
I should’ve come here with an armada.
Instead, I’d come alone and failed spectacularly.
Stop crying!
But he heard me.
Of course, he heard me.
“God, please don’t cry,” Sully whispered brokenly. “I’ll lose it if you cry.”
I laughed weakly as I rubbed tickling droplets from my jaw with my shoulder. “You can hear me?”
He shrugged helplessly, his lungs exhaling our fight and making him soft, gentle…kind. “I’ve always been aware of you. Now that I can’t see…I’m hyper attuned to your every breath.”
I wanted to say something.
Something profound and promising. Something that would give him back his pride, his power, his hope.
But…I had nothing.
All I wanted to do was crawl into his arms and kiss him until we both either died or help arrived.
Help.
“Sully…” I glanced at the exit, my tears drying. Still no guards. Still alone. I lowered my voice for good measure. “I told the captain who dropped me off to call for help. His granddaughter works on Lebah. I think he accepted Drake’s bribe to bring me here but regrets it. He might call on our behalf…I hope anyway. I also installed a tracker app on a burner phone and told my dad to call the police, the consulate—anyone in a position to help us with the coordinates. I don’t know if I have reception out here…but I tried.”
He froze.
I added quickly, “I told him your name. I…I hope you don’t mind.”
I was almost grateful he couldn’t see me just yet. I didn’t have to hide my worry or pretend to be stronger than I was. I’d done my best…but it might not be good enough.
Silence fell for a second before he chuckled darkly. “You told your father about me?”
“I told him you needed help.”
“Did you also tell him I bought you? That I paid money for your body and ended up stealing your heart?”
I shook my head, my hair catching on the bars behind me. “No…but he’ll hear in my voice that you’re special to me. That you’re…the one.”
He groaned. His body stiffened and face twisted. He sniffed as if he couldn’t believe what I’d told him before clearing his throat and murmuring, “If we survive this, Eleanor Grace…I’m going to fucking marry you.”
Goosebumps shot over every inch of me. I shivered. I smiled. “Is that a proposal?”
“It’s a vow. You’ve somehow claimed my entire useless heart. I let you go, Jinx. I watched you fly away like so many of my rescues…but you came back. You came back despite impossible odds…therefore, I’m keeping you. You don’t get a choice anymore.”