“You’re getting good weather tonight,” he says. “Storm clouds rolling in. That should give you good cover.”
I nod, sliding a handgun into my hip holster.
Nearby, Karra is checking her gear. I’ve never worked with her on a mission before, but if Gray and the others trust her, then I guess so do I.
Gray’s eyes remain on me, those playful green eyes that always have a way of making me feel lighter. He doesn’t even need to use his grounding ability. His eyes do it for him.
I reach up and trace that sharp jawline with my fingertips, and his lips curve. He rests his hands on my waist and tugs me toward him.
“I mean it. Stay safe,” he says roughly.
“I will,” I promise, tipping my head back as he lowers his mouth to mine.
It’s a fleeting kiss, quick and gentle, but I feel the emotion pouring from him. I feel the concern. I get it, nothing is guaranteed in this life. I can promise all day long to stay safe. That doesn’t mean I will.
I kiss him again, deeper this time, and it’s only when our tongues touch and I hear someone clearing their throat that I remember we’re not alone.
Shit.
Karra strides up with her pack, tossing it into the cargo hold. She flicks her gaze at us before securing the bag. Her expression is unreadable, but I wouldn’t blame her if she was pissed. Nobody wants to see a former lover flaunting a new relationship in front of their face.
He bids us goodbye and heads off. Once he’s gone, I turn to Karra, remorseful.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”
She shrugs.
When she starts to walk away, I tug on her sleeve. “I mean it. That was insensitive. I’m sorry.”
“I don’t care that you kissed him.” Hurt clouds her face. “I just fucking hate being proved wrong.”
“Wrong about what?”
“I told you he’s incapable of deep feelings.” I hear the bitterness in her voice. “Incapable of really loving someone. I guess I was wrong.”
My heart squeezes. “Karra—”
“No, it’s fine. Whatever. Let’s go.”
She climbs into the back of the hybrid. I hop on, too, just as Evlynne crosses the hangar with a black duffel.
“Here, let me help,” I say, reaching out, but she begs me off.
“I’ve got it.”
She sets the large gear bag in the cargo hold and straps it to the floor, making sure it stays secure. She looks ill at ease.
“You okay?” I ask her.
She shakes her head. “I don’t like this. Feels like a trap.”
Yet despite those words, she flies us out of the mountain ten minutes later.
Bramble Base is in Ward H, located in a crumbling industrial area bordered by woods. According to Adrienne, the nuclear bunker was built in the Old Era and reinforced sometime in the past fifty years. It was designed to withstand literal nuclear war and indeed did. Tucked deep underground, the bunker can house up to five hundred people, but she tells me that only about two hundred currently reside there.
We enter the facility from the main hatch, which leads to a metal staircase. Downstairs, we find a huge set of iron doors at the end of a long hallway. The corridor is quiet. Our footsteps echo off the concrete as we approach the entrance. Adrienne punches in a code, and the doors slide open.
The first thing we see on the other side is Declan.
