Page 136 of Vengeance of the Gods

“What do you need, Halo?” he asked, glancing over his shoulder.

“The others are arriving in five minutes.” He stood awkwardly, more than likely waiting for Bridger to shoo him away.

“Thank you. Let them know I'll meet them at the gates.” Bridger turned back to Vega, and he didn’t have to look to know Halo left. The smell of his smoke lingered in the room after he was gone.

“Shower. I’ll get them settled.” Bridger walked past Vega, pushing the door to his small bathroom open.

“I’ll go with you,” Vega said, following him in.

He reached inside and adjusted the temperature of the stand-up shower to exactly what he knew Vega would like—scalding hot with a side of third degree burns. “Vega, please. Will you not fight me on this one thing today?” Bridger turned around to see the softening of her eyes.

Vega sighed, her shoulders sinking with the breath. “Fine.”

Bridger forced a smile. “Thank you.” He caressed the bond with his words and watched the chill travel up Vega’s spine.

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay and join me? I bet Halo can handle the tour just fine.” Her fingers traveled to the end of her shirt and pulled the battle torn garment over her head.

Bridger drank in the sight of her while she kicked her boots off and slipped out of her pants. Good gods, this woman could break me right now.

If she told him this had all been a scheme, her big revenge plan to break his heart, Bridger would happily shatter into a million pieces for her.

He stepped forward now that she was in nothing but her underwear, running a hand over the soft skin of her curves and pulling her flush against him while the steam from the shower filled the room and fogged the mirror. “As amazing as that sounds, I’m not going to earn your friends’ trust again by ignoring them to fuck you senseless in my shower.”

Bridger moved his hands from her sides to the braids holding the hair out of her face. He gently worked the ties from the ends, placing them on the counter to his right. Bridger’s fingers returned to the braids, delicately unbinding Vega’s hair. “And even though you were finally truthful with me, I’m still not even sure you trust me.” He rubbed the spots on either side of her scalp where the braids had held tightly, watching Vega’s eyes flutter closed in approval.

He leaned in and placed a sweet kiss on her lips while she wasn’t expecting it. “Make yourself at home,” he said as her eyes opened. “I’ll bring Arlet to get you once I’ve given the tour. I have a room down the hall for you both.” And Khort too, but he was sick of hearing his name out loud when the feel of Vega’s lips was still on his.

Before Bridger lost his fight to leave, he ran a hand over Vega’s cheek and exited the bathroom, closing her in and fleeing from his own room.

The elevator doors had begun to close when Vega’s words came as a whisper in his mind. “I do trust you…”

DING. The doors closed.

“And you’ve never been the villain in my story.”

43

“Where’s Nora?” Khort asked the second Bridger approached the opening gates of Vincere. “Has Octavia made it yet?”

“Hello to you too.” Bridger forced a smile. “Glad you all made it in one piece.”

Khort rolled his eyes so hard Bridger could feel it.

Mmm, nope, hate that.

Bridger wouldn’t mind losing the bond to Khort and Arlet…

“We aren’t friends, and I don’t even want to be here.” Khort glanced over at Arlet, who looked as exhausted as Bridger knew they all were.

“Where else would you like to be, Khort? In the caves with no protection from Marlena’s next attack?” Bridger asked, eyebrows drawing in with seriousness.

“Doesn’t seem Marlena had any issues slaughtering your soldiers behind the very walls you’re claiming will protect us,” Khort fired back.

Bridger pulled out his dagger, ready to slit the lizard’s throat for bringing up his soldiers’ deaths.

“Bridger.” Arlet intervened in time to save Khort from a blade through his eye socket.

A few tense moments passed while Bridger fought against the need to watch Khort bleed out.