“You sure? It just… it looks like I went too far.”
“You didn’t. You only did what I asked you to do.” Harper let out a breathless laugh. “And if I wasn’t close to passing out, I would ask you to do it again.”
Maya stared at her in disbelief. Kept staring until Harper caressed her chin and guided their lips together again.
How she wished to deepen it. To fill this kiss with all the love she could muster. To show Maya, with nothing but certainty, that the terror she felt for herself had no ground to stand on.
Even without words, it seemed like she understood. She relaxed against Harper’s body, and the last traces of tension evaporated in a sigh. She deepened the kiss when Harper couldn’t, letting it last only for as long as Harper’s still shallow breathing could take, but even when it ended, they didn’t part. Her lips stayed by Harper’s, barely touching.
“I forgot…”
Harper ran a hand through Maya’s hair. “Forgot what?”
“That I could feel like this. Could feel so… alive.”
She drew her head back. Not far. Just enough that she could stare down at Harper.Marvelat her. That was the only way to describe the awe-struck look in her gilded eyes.
“It’s all because of you. I’m like this because of you.”
“You’re exaggerating,” Harper said, chuckling. “I didn’t really do much.”
“You did. And I’m not just talking about now.” The wonder in Maya’s gaze bled into her voice. “I wasn’t living before I met you.I hated myself. Wasscaredof myself. My life didn’t feel like mine, and I didn’t know how to change that.” A smile grew on her face. Adoring and breathtaking. “But you showed me. Reminded me. My heart and soul had no purpose before I met you, Harper. You are my everything.”
She meant it. Every word. Every kind word she’d uttered, now or before… they had always been honest.
How could Harper ever have categorized this as simplefun? That was far too small a word for what they shared. At best, it was a veneer. A means of hiding that, from the moment they met, they had been lost to each other.
There was no one else. Wouldn’t ever be anyone else. Even if something were to happen that made them part, Harper couldn’t imagine ever finding anything close to this type of devotion.
Maya tensed. Her head snapped to the side, tilting. For a moment, Harper thought another wave of guilt had hit her, but that didn’t match her expression. Brows knitted and eyes shining silver.
“Maya?” Harper pushed up on her elbows. “What’s wrong?”
Maya raised a hand for silence. Other than the wind outside and the creaking cabin, Harper didn’t hear anything.
Maya slipped off the bed, putting on her clothes.
“Stay here.”
She vanished in a blink. One moment she was there, and the next, the only sign of where she’d gone was the open bedroom door.
Harper frowned. She listened again, but whatever had stolen Maya’s attention, she couldn’t hear it.
Moving slowly, on account of her still being lightheaded, she pulled on her underwear. The discarded t-shirt and sweatpants followed before she staggered to the door, grabbed the door frame, and poked her head out of the bedroom.
The living room was almost pitch-black. The candles had been put out, and the fire had burned down to embers. Nell was curled up on the couch, Evie asleep in the armchair, while Maya was by the window. She’d pushed aside the curtain, a bright light shining outside making her silhouette look pure black.
Keeping a hand on the wall for support, Harper moved up next to her. The floorboards creaked under her weight, but Maya didn’t react to her approach. She just stared out the window, the sheer glow of a pair of headlights illuminating her face.
A few pickup trucks were parked outside. One had the engine still running, the bright cones of light catching the falling snow. About two dozen people stood gathered by the vehicles, fresh tracks in the snow leading to and from the windows, as well as circling around the cabin.
Every single person was covered in blood. Most of them were wearing torn clothes, with only a few carrying weapons. Handguns, knives, and gore-covered baseball bats.
Harper’s first thought was that some Chains members were seeking refuge at the safe house. But these people weren’t supposed to be here. A fact made chillingly clear as a man moved to the front of the group.
A man with wide shoulders. A graceful gait. And shaggy dark hair.
Kieran.
