49. Chapter 49
AHREN
The rest of dinner passed in silence. Tierney's words, sharp as shards of glass, hung in the air, a chilling threat that pierced the silence. "We may have her location, but she knows we're coming."
She was right, of course. The smartest course would be to assume she knows we are coming. Add to that, our buffer zone had long expired and we could expect to be dodging bullets for the duration of whatever this was.
"Dinner was delicious." Tierney said robotically, rising from the table and placing her dishes in the sink.
I stood, abandoning my plate, and wrapped her in my arms. Her soft curves that had turned to rigid stone softened under my touch.
I wanted to tell her it was ok. That everything would be fine.
But I made myself a promise not to lie to her, and making any kind of predictions or promises about the future was more than a little reckless .
Instead, I just held her, both of us needing comfort and reassurance, both things neither of us had experience seeking outside ourselves.
"I'm going to take a shower and get cleaned up while you two get ready." Connor muttered, almost to herself, as she slipped her plate into the sink.
My hands slid down her arms until only our fingers were linked and I tugged her toward the stairs.
Entering my room, she walked past the arsenal of weapons on the wall, straight into the bathroom. One by one, pieces of her clothing hit the floor. I spun the knob, letting the water heat while I stripped my clothes off to join her.
Still silent, she melted against me, allowing me to care for her.
"You're uncharacteristically quiet." I murmured, working the shampoo through her hair.
She remained quiet, still as a stone.
"Close your eyes."
She obeyed, tilting her head back so I could rinse the shampoo and debris from her hair. I had almost given up on her answering me when she finally spoke.
"Just—don't have anything to say."
"It's ok to be scared."
Her wet hair slapped against my skin as her head shook from side to side. “I'm not scared. Not exactly. But I hate waiting. I just want it over with. You know?”
I barked out a laugh, shattering the somber silence.
"I'm sorry." I coughed, clearing my throat. "That was rude. I'm sorry. It's just—you're a sniper. I once waited three days to get a shot. An impatient sniper."
A smile broke across her face, lighting up her eyes for the first time since she slid the last puzzle piece into place. Fuck, she was beautiful .
"But I get what you're saying. I want it over with. I want to know you're safe."
"I hate not knowing anything. That photo showed a grand estate with a freaking hedge maze. I suck at mazes on paper. How are we supposed to research this place? We need to leave—now."
I nodded, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I know. It's two hours away and by now, she will have released the hounds, so to speak."
"Maybe I can do some research while you drive," she muttered, the fog slowly clearing from her eyes.
My head bobbed in agreement, but my mind was tangled in her.
Looking down at this woman—my woman—filled me with emotions that were becoming more and more familiar. Something inside snapped, watching the droplets sluice over her curves, beading on her nipples before falling to the shower floor.
My tongue traced across her lips and down her chin, the column of her throat, down further, circling her nipple and sucking the hardened bud into my mouth.
Her fingers tangled in my hair, and a wanton moan broke from her lips. She yelped as I lifted her from the floor and pressed her against the cold tile, finding a home between her thighs.
My voice shook with need. "Tierney, I need you." I admitted, searching her eyes for any sign she didn't want this, only finding naked desire dancing in her soulful blue eyes.
She nodded, arching her back, desperate for the same friction I sought.
Neither of us could say the words, but we were both keenly aware these could be our last moments on this earth. Tonight, this would end. And while we prided ourselves on being the best in the game, I meant what I told her. Anyone can get lucky. One lucky shot and one of us goes home alone .
If I only have one more minute, I wanted to make love to her—one more time and tell her—
I pushed into her, pinning her to the wall with slow, deep strokes.
"Fuck. You feel amazing." I groaned, taking her lips in a tender kiss, our tongues mimicking the slide of my cock inside her.
Tierney once again took the form of some long forgotten goddess of death. Sodden hair twisted into her signature fishtail braid, daggers sheathed along her body, pistol in her waist and her trusty scout slung over her shoulder. Utter perfection.
She bent over to slide her feet into her boots, turning and winking at me before straightening back up to her full height.
“Kitten—” my warning is a low growl.
"I know." She pouted. "We don't have time for that shit."
I laughed. "I'm always down for it. But I think if we take much longer, Connor is going to come in here and pull us out by our ears."
"And whose fault is that?"
"Mine," I whispered, dropping a kiss on her lips. "I needed you to come all three times. Two just wasn't enough for me."
She shook her head, turning toward the door, but my hand caught her arm.
"Before we go," I swallowed hard. "There's something I want—"
"No." her fingers pressed to my lips. "None of this goodbye shit."
I kissed her fingertips, moving them away from my lips. "Not goodbye."
My breath rushed out, impatient as she was. “I need to say this. Please, just listen.”
“I love you. I think maybe I have since I saw you take that shot that earned me that first rose. All my life I've been so disconnected from my emotions, I didn't realize I felt anything until that night in the grove. If something happens—”
She opened her mouth, but I raised my voice. I needed her to hear this, and despite her protestations, she needed to hear it too.
"If something happens to me. I need you to know that these few weeks with you have been the most beautiful moments of my life."
"Are you done?" she growled. "We are not saying goodbye."
She pushed off me and stomped from the room, making sure I heard every step as she descended the stairs and slammed the front door.
I sighed heavily, scrubbing my fingers through my hair.
"What was that all about?" Connor asked, meeting me at the bottom of the stairs.
An incredulous laugh bubbled up through me. "I told her I love her."
She swatted my chest. "Seriously? Now? What the hell is wrong with you?" she whisper yelled, punctuating every word with a swat to my arm.
"That girl has never been loved; not really. If this doesn't go our way—if I don't walk away from this—I need her to know she was loved."
"I guess that makes sense," she murmured.
"Your apology is not accepted." I gruffed, swiping my keys from the hook by the door .
"Your timing still sucks."
"Acknowledged. Next time a deranged cow decides to play games with our lives, I'll make sure to call a timeout before I say sweet words to my lover. Better?" I snarked.
"Your terms are acceptable."
"Clearly, the real threat has always been the two of you teaming up against me." I grumbled, closing the door behind us.