Page 48 of Point Blank

“What’s his deal?” Serena examined another image beneath the kitchen lights.

“I think Dani’s situation is hitting him. I know they had a rough patch?—”

“That’s an understatement,” she said, lowering the paper to stare at him.

“He still cares for her. He wouldn’t be here otherwise.”

Serena tucked the corners of her mouth in. “Yeah, I can see that.” She pushed away from the island and rolled her head in big circles. His hands ached to go to her, to massage her tense muscles, but with Brock gone, Milo wouldn’t be able to control himself.

She braced her arms on the counter and dropped her face into them. “We don’t have time to get anyone else.” Her words came out on a broken note, and he couldn’t stop himself from wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

“I think you’re right. Peyton would be an asset on the team.”

She turned her face toward him. Dampness collected in her eyes, and the cavity behind his sternum ached.

“We still need to get by the guards without alerting the dogs.”

He winked at her. “I’m a good shot too.”

A snort shook her shoulders. “Still. We can’t go in shooting everything. We need a diversion or something so we can get inside.”

“We’ll make it work. I promise.” His voice faltered on the last two words, making the pledge sound weak.

She sat up and twisted in her seat. “Thanks, Milo,” she said, dipping her chin. “I don’t know what I’d do if you hadn’t stepped in.”

Ah, hell. The last thing he wanted was for her to feel indebted to him.

“You have nothing to thank me for.”

“Yes, I do. I’m dragging you right back into the thick of where you don’t want to be, right back into stealing. Isn’t that why you stayed away from me? You knew I’d contaminate your new life.” Resentment should have coated her words, but instead they rang with shame.

She was one-hundred-percent right. That was one of the main reasons he hadn’t reached out to her, but hearing it fall from her lips ate at him. Fierce protectiveness fired through him. He caught her elbow and gave her a light shake. “I’m here because I want to be. Got it? Forget all that shit from before. At least for now.”

She nodded and her bottom lip quivered. She sucked it between her teeth to stop the tremble. The tiny little sniff from her nose made him pull her to his chest. He stroked his hands over her feathery hair, down her spine, and back up.

“I need to say something,” she said. “If I never see you again after this, I want you to know how much it means to me that you didn’t abandon Dani . . . or me,” she added on a whisper.

Guilt, hot and corrosive, ate at his insides.

If I never see you again after this . . .

She wasn’t talking about something happening to either of them. She was talking about him walking away from her like he’d done in the past. He cupped the back of her neck and lowered his lips to her satiny locks.

“I’ll never do that again, Serena. I was a stupid, cocky little shit to break up with you the way I did and not contact you after that. Never again.”

She said nothing, and her muscles stayed stiff. She didn’t believe him. That harsh realization hit him like a kick to the gut.

He’d prove it to her.

Chapter

Eleven

His words spread across the crack in her heart like soothing balm. Nothing could erase the pain he’d inflicted by storming out of her life, but his remorse helped.

She nuzzled her face a little closer to his pec and filled her lungs with his scent. The faint hint of oranges and pine should have wakened her senses, but instead it made her sink deeper into him. She didn’t respond to his apology—what could she say? She wouldn’t say it was okay, nor would she say she forgave him.

At least not yet.