Blade (The Alpha Elite #11)

Chapter Fifty-Seven

Juniper

O h my God, he was beautiful.

Too beautiful.

And too angry.

And his muscles were harder, his jaw was sharper, his eyes were colder, and I wanted everything from him. But I was that girl in the alley, and he was a decorated war hero.

Who’d found me.

Not that it mattered.

Because the universe was cruel, life was pitiless, and there was nothing magic about time.

I said the only thing I could.

“Please.” Except I didn’t say it. I begged. “Leave.” Because I didn’t know if I would have the strength to walk away from him again. The sleepless night in the Jeep was bad enough. But now that I was looking at him? I could not do this.

For two heartbeats, he stared at me with that piercing gaze I’d never forgotten.

Then he set a white bag on the desk and, without a word, turned and strode out.

My body physically shuddered with the overwhelming urge to lurch after him, and I had to grasp the desk to stop myself.

That’s when I smelled it.

His clean, woodsy musk, but also another distinctive scent.

With a shaking hand, I looked in the bag.

Two everything bagels, each with a double-thick layer of cream cheese.

I didn’t think.

I ran out of the stockroom and heard his voice as I rushed down the hall.

“Mistakes,” he clipped. “Not turning her cell phone ringer off. Not making eye contact with me. Cleaning the same damn spot for twenty minutes.”

I reached the front as he was tossing a business card on the counter in front of Hailey. “Give her that. Make sure she fucking takes it.”

My heart spoke. “ Blade .”

His gaze immediately met mine.

Then the world exploded.