Page 167 of Rogue & Her Hunters
Except, Joker is smarter than her. He is a gadget genius.
The explosion is her well-deserved surprise from him.
She may already be dead.
The plan is for us to wait here because Viper is obsessed. With Reaper injured, her partner will attack, blinded by rage and grief.
Viper may have been paid to capture Bird and me, but she is truly here for Joker.
I push myself to stand in front of Phantom.
I close my fist and push it outward in the signal to remind Phantom that this is meant to be an ambush.
Bird crawls to the wall, watching us in concern.
My heart races. My pulse is too loud in my ears.
Phantom ducks his head, taking a steadying breath. Then he raises his shaking hands to the edges of his mask.
My eyes widen.
Is Phantom finally going to remove his mask?
My breath stutters, when Phantom removes the mask.
Phantom raises his gaze to mine.
His face that had been hidden by the mask is paler and raised with the uneven ridges of scar tissue.
I am happy that he finally trusts me with all of him.
I know what Phantom is telling me with the simple gesture. I understand it as a fellow fighter and killer.
Reaper did this.I need to kill her myself.
I simply nod.
I am stunned, when Phantom drops the mask to the floor and kisses me.
It’s butterfly light, inexperienced, but as tender as the times that he kisses the back of my hand.
It’s still everything that I have been dreaming about.
Yet my stomach drops.
Phantom must have kissed me because he knows that it may be the only time that he can…that it will possibly be thelast time.
I don’t beg him to stay.
He needs to do this alone.
An Alpha must face their past.And then fucking tear out its throat or put a bullet in it.
I can see by the look in Phantom’s eyes that he knows I understand.
Joker taps him on the shoulder.
I can sense the agony in the bond from Joker; this is tearing him apart. He knows as well as I do the danger of splitting up like this but also how important this is to Phantom.
