Read Online Justice (Bad Boys of X-Ops Book 2) by Rie Warren - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Rie Warren
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thought a glimmer of wetness showed in her eyes before she glanced away.
“She died two years ago.”
A lump formed in my throat I struggled to speak over. “I’m sorry.”
“Breast cancer. She fought it for ten years, but it spread.” Tilly linked her arms around her upraised knees and pressed her face against them.
Rolling her head aside, she managed to keep her tears from flowing over. “I wanted to quit grad school. Stay home with her. She wouldn’t have it. Made it to my graduation while the cancer ate through her bones and Dad took care of her, night and day.” A single teardrop, fat and round, slid down her cheek. The corner of her mouth rose sadly. “She died the week after.”
“I’m sorry,” I repeated, balling my fists so I didn’t, wouldn’t, reach for her.
She wiped her face against her knees. “Me too. But she’s in a better place. The pain is done. And Dad . . . well, those years were rough on him.”
“What about you?”
“It was hard.” She swallowed and a shiver worked down her spine. “But I’m pretty resilient.”
“How old are you?” I couldn’t detect a single a wrinkle around her eyes that shined light green when she was amused, and I imagined she was the type to laugh a lot, despite what she’d lived through.
“Twenty-six. You?”
“Ancient.”
Not much older, but the shit I’d survived made me feel ancient next to her.
“I’d imagined so.” She lightly punched me in the stomach where nothing but hard rolls of muscle met the impact of her slight fist. “All sagging paunch.” She puffed out a laugh.
God, but it was easy being with her. Easy, and thrilling, and way too fucking tempting because she was just so damn gorgeous.
Straightening, she reached across me, carefully caressing the cold steel, Black Ronin hari-shuriken. “You use these a lot?”
I bent my face in her direction. There was little light, but I had pretty damn good night vision. Clear eyes rose to mine, and Tilly slowly pulled her hand back from the sharp-multi-bladed weapon. Her fingers rode over my hip and across my stomach.
A million hot prickles danced over my skin from her contact.
My abs contracted beneath her touch, and her lips parted on a rush of air.
Her fingertips drifted to the other side of my black shirt where the bones of my ribs were padded by thick muscle. It tickled. It made me steam under the collar and in my tightly conforming pants.
I cleared my throat as her hand stilled on me.
“That’s right. You’re something of a markswoman, aren’t you?” My deadly low voice rumbled from the depths of my chest.
Tilly concentrated on her fingers she drew off of me with a flirty tilt of her eyelashes. “Well, occasionally mah aim is off, but this time Ah don’t think so,” she drawled with just the hint of suggestion.
“Maybe I’ll show you how to use it sometime,” I said with a predatory grin.
“ It ?” She looked up, biting into her bottom lip.
And we both knew what she was talking about. Not the silver weapon, but the hard cock barely concealed by my black combat pants.
Voices interrupted the strained moment, and I jumped to my feet on instant high alert.
Foreign words echoed toward us beyond the vault-like door, from far away in the tunnel outside.
With a finger to my lips, I cautioned Tilly.
She stood at my back as I tested the soldered shut door and listened.
They weren’t close. The tunnel had collapsed after us. They’d have to mine through that fucking rubble to reach us.
But that didn’t mean they couldn’t. Or wouldn’t. Given time.
Turning back to Tilly, I ushered her from the room. I walked her down the hallway to her quarters, just to be safe I told myself.
“Are they close?” she whispered.
“No. We have time for now.”
She stopped outside the door, and I hovered behind, looming above her.
In an oddly intimate moment, her low voice crept out. “Goodnight, Justice.”
And her apricot-colored hair brushed my bare
“She died two years ago.”
A lump formed in my throat I struggled to speak over. “I’m sorry.”
“Breast cancer. She fought it for ten years, but it spread.” Tilly linked her arms around her upraised knees and pressed her face against them.
Rolling her head aside, she managed to keep her tears from flowing over. “I wanted to quit grad school. Stay home with her. She wouldn’t have it. Made it to my graduation while the cancer ate through her bones and Dad took care of her, night and day.” A single teardrop, fat and round, slid down her cheek. The corner of her mouth rose sadly. “She died the week after.”
“I’m sorry,” I repeated, balling my fists so I didn’t, wouldn’t, reach for her.
She wiped her face against her knees. “Me too. But she’s in a better place. The pain is done. And Dad . . . well, those years were rough on him.”
“What about you?”
“It was hard.” She swallowed and a shiver worked down her spine. “But I’m pretty resilient.”
“How old are you?” I couldn’t detect a single a wrinkle around her eyes that shined light green when she was amused, and I imagined she was the type to laugh a lot, despite what she’d lived through.
“Twenty-six. You?”
“Ancient.”
Not much older, but the shit I’d survived made me feel ancient next to her.
“I’d imagined so.” She lightly punched me in the stomach where nothing but hard rolls of muscle met the impact of her slight fist. “All sagging paunch.” She puffed out a laugh.
God, but it was easy being with her. Easy, and thrilling, and way too fucking tempting because she was just so damn gorgeous.
Straightening, she reached across me, carefully caressing the cold steel, Black Ronin hari-shuriken. “You use these a lot?”
I bent my face in her direction. There was little light, but I had pretty damn good night vision. Clear eyes rose to mine, and Tilly slowly pulled her hand back from the sharp-multi-bladed weapon. Her fingers rode over my hip and across my stomach.
A million hot prickles danced over my skin from her contact.
My abs contracted beneath her touch, and her lips parted on a rush of air.
Her fingertips drifted to the other side of my black shirt where the bones of my ribs were padded by thick muscle. It tickled. It made me steam under the collar and in my tightly conforming pants.
I cleared my throat as her hand stilled on me.
“That’s right. You’re something of a markswoman, aren’t you?” My deadly low voice rumbled from the depths of my chest.
Tilly concentrated on her fingers she drew off of me with a flirty tilt of her eyelashes. “Well, occasionally mah aim is off, but this time Ah don’t think so,” she drawled with just the hint of suggestion.
“Maybe I’ll show you how to use it sometime,” I said with a predatory grin.
“ It ?” She looked up, biting into her bottom lip.
And we both knew what she was talking about. Not the silver weapon, but the hard cock barely concealed by my black combat pants.
Voices interrupted the strained moment, and I jumped to my feet on instant high alert.
Foreign words echoed toward us beyond the vault-like door, from far away in the tunnel outside.
With a finger to my lips, I cautioned Tilly.
She stood at my back as I tested the soldered shut door and listened.
They weren’t close. The tunnel had collapsed after us. They’d have to mine through that fucking rubble to reach us.
But that didn’t mean they couldn’t. Or wouldn’t. Given time.
Turning back to Tilly, I ushered her from the room. I walked her down the hallway to her quarters, just to be safe I told myself.
“Are they close?” she whispered.
“No. We have time for now.”
She stopped outside the door, and I hovered behind, looming above her.
In an oddly intimate moment, her low voice crept out. “Goodnight, Justice.”
And her apricot-colored hair brushed my bare
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