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Authors: Melissa Wright
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back up to the library.”
When h e adjusted the holster at his waist, Brianna stilled him with a touch. “I can do this alone, Logan.” He leaned against the doorframe, not intending to let this one go without a fight, and she smiled. “You forget what I’m capable of.”
He didn’t speak, simply gave her a level gaze that said everything that was wrong with her justification. It reminded her with no shame that he was her guard, that he’d been trained for this, that she’d been captured twice while out of his hands. It said she’d walked right into a trap.
She wrapped her arms around her middle, moving closer to where Logan’s shoulder rested on the doorframe. “Don’t think I don’t appreciate what you do for me. Don’t think I don’t realize I need you.” Her words faltered a bit and she forced herself to look into his eyes, not the way his casual posture belied his determination. “But this is Morgan. He’s no danger to me.” She reached forward, hooking a finger into the hem of his shirt. “Not anymore.”
It was the touch that did it, she was almost sure. Though it might have been the way she’d spoken, or the memory of the last battle. Even the moments they’d shared in her mother’s cell, where Morgan had held her for the last days of her life. But something in Logan’s gaze softened, and he said, “I’ll be right here.”
She leaned closer, brushing a soft kiss over his lips, and said, “I wouldn’t want you anywhere else.”
He sighed, straightening. “You’re turning me into a complete pushover, Brianna Drake.”
There was a snicker from the end of the hall and Brianna smiled, patting Logan’s arm on her way past. Her hand didn’t hesitate in the least as she opened the door to the prison that held her mother’s killer.
Chapter Fifteen
Aern
Aern had told Kara first. Word would quickly spread that Brendan had been found, but the whispers would say rescued , not ruined. Not broken. Aern had known Kara would want to do her grieving in private, that she’d not admit how the loss had affected her, and that she’d not want his company. Not after learning the man she’d wanted for so many years was nothing but a shell. And not from Aern, the one person she could find to blame aside from Morgan. The one person she’d never understood in the least.
Kara was a woman of duty, but her wishes, her beliefs tended to influence her command decisions more often than not. It was why she’d held Aern accountable, why she’d not understood why he couldn’t have simply created the bond with Brianna and let the Division win. They’d been wrong, it would have never worked that way, but it didn’t matter. Kara would never forget the idea that Aern had abandoned them, even if she didn’t say it out loud. And Aern would always treat her as well as any of his soldiers, despite the fact that he’d long since suspected she left Council for what the Division had to offer, not because what Morgan was doing was wrong.
“Mr. Archer,” Ava said, inclining her head in greeting as she passed him in the hall.
Aern nodded at the woman in return, pausing momentarily before he knocked on Ellin’s door. They’d given Ellin one of the suites to recover in, and her voice was faint as she called out from the room within the apartment. As he opened the lever, he replied to let her know it was him and that he could come back later.
“No,” she said. “Please, I’m just… still resting.”
He walked through the front room, a pastel gray accented in navy and silver, pausing again at the entrance to her bedroom. She pushed herself up on a myriad of white pillows, legs hidden beneath a pale lavender comforter. “Please, come in.” She gestured to a carved wooden chair near the side of her bed, and Aern took note of the many books and pastries and half-empty cups of tea at her bedside table. Ellin had taken care of the Division soldiers, and it looked like they were repaying the
When h e adjusted the holster at his waist, Brianna stilled him with a touch. “I can do this alone, Logan.” He leaned against the doorframe, not intending to let this one go without a fight, and she smiled. “You forget what I’m capable of.”
He didn’t speak, simply gave her a level gaze that said everything that was wrong with her justification. It reminded her with no shame that he was her guard, that he’d been trained for this, that she’d been captured twice while out of his hands. It said she’d walked right into a trap.
She wrapped her arms around her middle, moving closer to where Logan’s shoulder rested on the doorframe. “Don’t think I don’t appreciate what you do for me. Don’t think I don’t realize I need you.” Her words faltered a bit and she forced herself to look into his eyes, not the way his casual posture belied his determination. “But this is Morgan. He’s no danger to me.” She reached forward, hooking a finger into the hem of his shirt. “Not anymore.”
It was the touch that did it, she was almost sure. Though it might have been the way she’d spoken, or the memory of the last battle. Even the moments they’d shared in her mother’s cell, where Morgan had held her for the last days of her life. But something in Logan’s gaze softened, and he said, “I’ll be right here.”
She leaned closer, brushing a soft kiss over his lips, and said, “I wouldn’t want you anywhere else.”
He sighed, straightening. “You’re turning me into a complete pushover, Brianna Drake.”
There was a snicker from the end of the hall and Brianna smiled, patting Logan’s arm on her way past. Her hand didn’t hesitate in the least as she opened the door to the prison that held her mother’s killer.
Chapter Fifteen
Aern
Aern had told Kara first. Word would quickly spread that Brendan had been found, but the whispers would say rescued , not ruined. Not broken. Aern had known Kara would want to do her grieving in private, that she’d not admit how the loss had affected her, and that she’d not want his company. Not after learning the man she’d wanted for so many years was nothing but a shell. And not from Aern, the one person she could find to blame aside from Morgan. The one person she’d never understood in the least.
Kara was a woman of duty, but her wishes, her beliefs tended to influence her command decisions more often than not. It was why she’d held Aern accountable, why she’d not understood why he couldn’t have simply created the bond with Brianna and let the Division win. They’d been wrong, it would have never worked that way, but it didn’t matter. Kara would never forget the idea that Aern had abandoned them, even if she didn’t say it out loud. And Aern would always treat her as well as any of his soldiers, despite the fact that he’d long since suspected she left Council for what the Division had to offer, not because what Morgan was doing was wrong.
“Mr. Archer,” Ava said, inclining her head in greeting as she passed him in the hall.
Aern nodded at the woman in return, pausing momentarily before he knocked on Ellin’s door. They’d given Ellin one of the suites to recover in, and her voice was faint as she called out from the room within the apartment. As he opened the lever, he replied to let her know it was him and that he could come back later.
“No,” she said. “Please, I’m just… still resting.”
He walked through the front room, a pastel gray accented in navy and silver, pausing again at the entrance to her bedroom. She pushed herself up on a myriad of white pillows, legs hidden beneath a pale lavender comforter. “Please, come in.” She gestured to a carved wooden chair near the side of her bed, and Aern took note of the many books and pastries and half-empty cups of tea at her bedside table. Ellin had taken care of the Division soldiers, and it looked like they were repaying the
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