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“It doesn’t scare me,” I tell him as he turns us so we are on our sides, still connected. “Nothing you could ever do would.”
Curled in his arms sometime later, I allow my thoughts to wander and lock on a question I’ve always been curious about.
“Why do they call you Ghost?” I ask, looking into his gray eyes that I love so much.
Eyes that have been a part of my life longer than anyone else knows.
“Because without you, little doe, my world was gray, empty, and devoid of anything good and colorful. I wandered through it half dead long before they killed me. They call me Ghost because I have no soul. You have it, always have and always will.”
“Gray,” I whisper, searching his eyes. “I—what was your name? It wasn’t always Gray or Ghost, right?” I frown.
“No, I had a real name once a long time ago,” he murmurs.
“What was it?” I ask, knowing I shouldn’t.
Licking his lips, he eyes me nervously. “Austin, my real name was Austin, but I stopped being him a long time ago, Zoey. Austin was kind. Austin was weak. He didn’t know pain or how a belt felt against his skin, and he didn’t know the perverted touch of someone else he never wanted. Austin had dreams, but Gray? Gray has nightmares. Austin died the moment I was put in that home, and I was born. I chose Gray because of my eyes—empty and soulless, just like me.”
“You will always be Gray to me,” I say as I kiss him softly. “Austin, Gray, Ghost… my wolf. Names don’t matter. All that matters is that you are mine, and I am yours.”
“I think I’d rather be called that,” he murmurs.
“What’s that?” I smile.
“Yours.”
My heart beats triple time as I kiss him softly, promising him he will always be mine without words.
Neither of us need them.
* * *
“A shooting range?” I ask, my eyes going to him to see him grinning at me.
“We both have some frustrations we have to get out, so what better place than here?” He grabs my hips and hauls me to him, trapping me against the hood of the car. “Plus, I can test your skills, baby.”
“Oh, you’re on.” I smirk, pushing him away.
He laughs and takes my hand, leading me toward the gun shop, but part of me sags. He’s right; we both have frustrations.
We are both frustrated with the mission, and I am definitely upset about Alaric. He won’t return my calls, and at first, I was angry, but now I’m just sad.
Actually, I am more than sad. I’m hurt—hurt that he can’t accept me for who I am and hurt that the man who promised to always love and protect me and my sister is breaking that promise. He expected me to accept him as a killer, but this? This is too much for him.
Well, fuck him.
Gray is right. I need this.
I let him pay and get all set up as I wander out into the shooting range. It’s empty, which is a surprise, and when Gray comes out, I realize why. He’s rented the whole place.
He carefully lays out a selection of guns and then steps back, grinning at me. “Ladies first.”
Narrowing my eyes, I step up and check out my options.
There is everything from automatics to handguns. I select a smaller caliber, knowing I’m more comfortable and in control, and he picks up a shotgun. “Show me what you’ve got, baby,” he purrs. Excitement flashes in his gray eyes, and I know my own mirror his.
Pulling on the earmuffs, I step into the gate and choose the course on the left, avoiding the immobile targets down the row and instead selecting the assault course. Gray goes right, standing feet from me with a wicked grin, and waves me on teasingly.
Bastard.
