Chapter 40 Jase
Jase
Location: Abandoned Fishing Shelter — Adriatic Coast
She’s still too close.
Not that I’m complaining.
But it’s dangerous.
Not because of the situation outside.
Because of what’s happening right here.
Between us.
Mila’s leaning against me slightly, her breath finally evening out, but her hand is still fisted in my shirt like she hasn’t decided to let go yet.
I don’t want her to.
I don’t think I could step back even if I tried.
“You should rest,” I say again, quieter this time.
“I am,” she murmurs.
I huff a breath.
“That’s not resting.”
She tilts her head just enough to look at me.
“Feels like it.”
God.
She has no idea what she does to me.
Or maybe she does.
And that’s worse.
I study her for a second—really study her.
The strength.
The control.
The fire she carries like it’s part of her bones.
And underneath all of it—
Something softer.
Something she doesn’t let anyone see.
Except…
She’s letting me.
“Why me?” I ask before I can stop myself.
Her brow furrows slightly. “What?”
“This,” I say, gesturing between us. “You don’t do this. Not like this.”
She watches me for a long second.
Like she’s deciding how much to give.
How much to risk.
“You followed me into a kill zone without hesitation,” she says quietly.
“That’s your reasoning?”
“It’s part of it.”
I shake my head slightly. “That’s not enough.”
“No,” she agrees softly. “It’s not.”
Silence stretches between us again.
But this one—
This one matters.
“I’ve worked with a lot of men,” she continues. “Good ones. Skilled. Controlled.”
Her eyes lock onto mine.
“But you…” she exhales slowly, “you don’t hesitate when it matters. And you don’t pretend not to feel things just to stay in control.”
That hits harder than I expect.
“I feel plenty,” I say.
“I know,” she replies.
A beat.
Then quieter—
“That’s why I trust you.”
There it is again.
Trust.
It shouldn’t mean this much.
It does.
“You don’t give that easily,” I say.
“No,” she admits.
“Then why now?”
Her fingers tighten slightly in my shirt.
“Because I think…” she hesitates, just for a second, “if I didn’t, I’d regret it.”
Something in my chest shifts.
Hard.
“You’re not the kind of woman who lives with regret,” I say.
“I don’t plan to start.”
I move closer without thinking.
Or maybe I’ve been thinking about it this whole time.
“You’re not just trusting me,” I say quietly. “You’re choosing me.”
Her breath catches.
“Yeah,” she whispers. “I am.”
That’s it.
That’s the moment everything locks into place.
No confusion.
No denial.
No pretending this is temporary.
I cup her face gently, holding her there.
“Then you need to hear this,” I say.
Her eyes search mine.
I don’t look away.
“You matter to me.”
The words are simple.
But they carry everything.
Her lips part slightly.
“I know this isn’t normal,” I continue. “Not the timing. Not the way it happened. But I don’t care.”
My thumb brushes her cheek.
“I’m not walking away from you, Mila. Not after this.”
Her eyes shine just slightly now.
Not weak.
Not fragile.
Just… real.
“You don’t get to,” she says softly.
A corner of my mouth lifts.
“Good.”
She leans into me again, and this time it’s not hesitation.
It’s certainty.
“I’ve spent a long time doing things alone,” she admits. “Making the call. Taking the hit. Walking away before anything sticks.”
My jaw tightens.
“Not anymore.”
Her eyes lift to mine again.
“You’re sure about that?”
“Yeah,” I say, steady. “I am.”
A quiet breath leaves her.
Then—
“I don’t want to do this alone anymore.”
That right there?
That’s everything.
I pull her closer, pressing my forehead to hers.
“You won’t.”
And I mean it.
Every word.
Mila
Location: Same
Time: 11:52
I shouldn’t feel this calm.
Not here.
Not with everything waiting outside that door.
But I do.
Because for the first time in a long time—
I’m not carrying it alone.
Jase doesn’t say things he doesn’t mean.
I know that now.
And that makes this—
Us—
Real in a way I wasn’t ready for.
But I don’t pull back.
I don’t run.
Not this time.
My hand slides against his chest, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.
Grounding.
Solid.
“You realize,” I say softly, “this makes things complicated.”
His brow lifts slightly.
“They already were.”
I huff a quiet breath. “You’re not wrong.”
A small silence settles between us again.
But it’s lighter now.
Warmer.
Until—
Something shifts.
A sound.
Faint.
But wrong.
My head turns slightly.
“What?” Jase asks instantly.
I hold still.
Listening.
There.
Again.
Outside.
A step.
Too controlled to be random.
“They found us,” I whisper.
Jase doesn’t hesitate.
He’s already moving.
“Positions,” he snaps into comms.
Everyone shifts instantly.
Weapons up.
Breath steady.
The calm—
Gone.
Replaced by sharp, immediate focus.
Another sound.
Closer this time.
Wood creaks just slightly near the door.
My pulse kicks.
Fast.
But controlled.
I glance at Jase.
He’s already looking at me.
That same look from before.
That same unspoken promise.
We’ve got each other.
No matter what.
The handle—
Moves.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Then—
The door SLAMS open.
Gunfire erupts.