Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16

Alex

We kissed until my already strained lungs screamed for air. I reluctantly pulled away just enough to take a few gasping breaths. As soon as I could breathe properly again, I intended to dive back in and continue the kiss, but I was distracted by the sound of Ghita clearing her throat.

She stood just a few feet away, silently raising an eyebrow at Alex's position in Garrison's arms.

Unashamed, I stared right back at her, making no move to get down or stand on my own feet. "What?"

"Oh, no." She rolled her wrist, gesturing like she was trying to wind time forward with her bare hand. "Please, carry on. We're not in the middle of enemy territory, or anything."

I responded by primly flipping her off, but I did climb down from Garrison's embrace. The ground seemed to shift under my feet as my balance failed me, and I clung to Garrison for support. Closing my eyes, I waited for the dizziness to pass.

"Come on." Garrison led me away from the open container that had almost become my coffin. "Let's get you out of here."

A hidden car waited for us a few blocks away. Ghita climbed behind the wheel while Garrison and I both slid into the back.

Without needing to ask, Ghita started the car and pulled out of the alley, obviously heading for a specific destination.

I didn't bother to ask where we were going, trusting that my cousin and Garrison had a plan. Instead, I slumped over to lay my head in Garrison's lap.

"Wake me up when we get there."

It was a surprisingly short drive, not even enough time for a power nap. Just outside the city limits, we pulled into a shockingly average cottage. The only noteworthy feature was the amount of land it came with. Several acres of untamed trees surrounded the modest structure, hiding it from the world with a natural fortress of greenery.

When we stepped into the already furnished and well-stocked house, I revised his decision about questions.

"Okay, so, where are we? This isn't one of our properties."

Garrison tossed aside a bag filled with water bottles and cleaning supplies—they'd already explained about their homemade water bottle bombs—though he didn't remove his weapons. "This is apparently one of D'Angelo Bianchi's safe houses."

I paused. Certainly, I'd heard that wrong. "D'Angelo, the man who just tried to kill me?"

The plaid sofa cushions bounced when Ghita collapsed onto the furniture, exhaustion evident in every line of her body. "He claims it wasn't him. Said he was set up, though I'm not sure how much I believe that."

Garrison didn't sit. He remained on guard, standing just off to the side of the door and watching out the window.

"I think he was telling the truth. All the details of your kidnapping were too obvious. Dosed with a drug that only the Bianchi family controls. Taken to a property that the Bianchi family owns. If they actually did kidnap you, then they were going out of their way to incriminate themselves."

With her eyes closed and her head tipped back against the couch, Ghita shrugged. "I guess it does sound suspicious. And D'Angelo did help us out. At first, I thought it might be another trap, but he pointed us toward where you were being kept, and gave us access to this safe house."

Nodding along with what they were saying, I only half paid attention as he sidled closer to Garrison. "Guess I'll have to thank D'Angelo later."

Garrison turned away from the window, apparently satisfied that there was no danger lurking in the trees outside. "I wouldn't mention it. Apparently, the rest of the Bianchi family were eager for your death, even if they weren't the ones who did it. He had to help us secretly. Said something about already having enough of his own problems, he didn't need yours as well."

"Right. We can worry about that later. It's been a long... hours? Days? How long has it been since I was kidnapped? Whatever. Finding a bed sounds fantastic right now."

Half of Garrison's attention was still out the window, but luckily Ghita picked up on the odd tone in my voice. She glanced in my direction, her gaze flicking between me and Garrison, before heaving herself off the couch with more noise than necessary.

"This place seems to have several bedrooms. I'll be taking the one at the far end of the house, as far from you two as I can, and I don't expect to be bothered until morning."

Then she left the room, muttering under her breath about how it might actually be afternoon before anyone saw her.

Her departure left Garrison and I alone. The silence between us was nearly as smothering as the concrete I had been buried under.

"So..." Garrison shifted so his already immaculate posture stood a little straighter. "We should probably talk."

"Yeah, we should," I agreed, stepping closer to the man. "After."

"After?"

Before Garrison could say any more, I grabbed the front of his jacket and kissed him. It was sloppy, uncoordinated, and the best thing I had ever felt. Inside that container, frigid panic had hollowed out my chest. Even once I'd been saved, that emptiness remained. I tried to remain calm, cutting off the many emotions that threatened to spill out of the hole that panic had chewed through me.

The heat of Garrison's body pressing against mine filled that emptiness, but it wasn't enough. I needed more.

When Garrison pushed me away, I whined low in the back of my throat. The only thing that stopped me from losing my mind completely was the feeling of Garrison's hands still gripping my shoulders.

"Come on. Please." I tried to pull Garrison closer.

"This isn't a good idea. We fought the last time we spoke. Then all this happened. We just... We should talk before anything else."

Right. Our fight.

I had almost forgotten.

I grasped Garrison's collar so tight some of the stitches popped. "I'm sorry. It was my fault. I should have told you the truth about my family sooner. And I promise we will talk about everything. Just... please." I pressed my forehead against Garrison's chest, feeling the rise and fall of the man's breathing. "I thought I was going to die. It still feels like that. Like part of me is still buried. I just need you to help me feel alive again. Then we'll talk about anything you want."

Even without looking up, I could feel the weight of Garrison's gaze on me. Silence persisted between us. It lasted so long, I was certain Garrison would reject me. The part of my brain that wasn't flooded with need and arousal wondered if it would be better for both of us if Garrison turned away from me right now.

However, that was a very small part. Mostly I just wanted to scream.

Still without saying a word, Garrison ran both hands down my side. Heat flushed through my system, making me moan, then gasp when those hands gripped my hips. I knew I wasn't a light person. Yet, Garrison barely seemed to struggle as he picked me up, guided my legs around his waist, and walked off toward one of the bedrooms.

To be carried so easily, it made me feel small in the very best way. Like I was something tender and precious, and I had the strongest protector shielding me from the rest of the world.

Muscles shifted and Garrison's body rubbed up against mine with each step that Garrison took. Arousal buried its roots in my gut, and I let myself be carried, clinging to the other man as I pressed kisses to whatever path of skin I could find.

We barely made it into the bedroom. As soon as the door closed behind us, Garrison pressed me against the wall. Our hips ground together, creating more pleasant friction that sent shivers through both of us.

Garrison stopped for a moment, a serious look on his face. "We're talking after this."

I nodded eagerly. At this point, I probably would have agreed to anything Garrison said.

Yet, Garrison said nothing else. His mouth was too occupied, kissing me again and letting the long lines of our bodies drag against each other.

I kicked my feet in midair as I squeezed Garrison's hips with my thighs. This position should have left me feeling powerless. I couldn't do anything but let Garrison hold me up and trust that the other man wouldn't drop me.

Instead, it brought a sense of safety. Nothing could touch me when such a strong wall of muscle and bone surrounded me.

I suddenly snapped back to reality when Garrison set me down on my own feet.

"This house is pretty well stocked. The bathroom should have something. Get undressed while I fetch what we need."

He left before I could ask what he meant.

Still lost in a haze of arousal, and other less pleasant emotions, I didn't want to think about, my legs shook with the effort of holding myself up. I slid down the wall until I was sitting on the carpet. It wasn't as cold on the floor as it was standing by myself, and I curled my knees closer to my chest as I waited for Garrison to return.

It wasn't a long wait, but every second that passed left me feeling a little colder. I sighed in relief when Garrison stepped into view. Even just the sight of the man returned some warmth to my bones.

Garrison stood over him, arms crossed. "You're still dressed."

Oh, right. That's what I was supposed to do.

Unable to explain myself, I just shrugged.

Even without words, understanding seemed to dawn on Garrison. He knelt on the floor, running one hand up my leg to settle on his knee.

"Want me to do it?"

"Yes." I closed my eyes and let my head knock against the wall. "I just... don't want to think right now."

A rare smirk spread across Garrison's face as his hands inched farther up my legs "I can help with that."

Taking control, he yanked both of their clothes free, tossing everything aside into a forgotten pile on the floor.

I let myself be manhandled, not even caring when I heard the sound of ripping fabric. Between each article of clothing removed, we stopped to kiss again. The pleasure of tangling tongues and warm lips distracted me to the point that I didn't even realize when all my clothing was gone.

My nakedness didn't register until strong hands suddenly flipped me around, so I knelt with my back to Garrison and my forearms braced against the wall.

"What are..." I never got to finish my question as Garrison gripped my hips and coaxed my legs apart. Two slicked fingers pressed inside me, breaching my hole and sending a thrill up my spine as my inner muscles were forced open.

Oh, that's why Garrison had disappeared. He'd been searching the bathroom for supplies, since neither of us had lube stored in our pockets.

Maybe I would have to start carrying some around, if this was going to be a repeat occurrence.

Fuck, I hoped it would.

I didn't know what I would do if Garrison chose to leave after this.

Warmth spread along my skin as Garrison draped over my back. "I can practically hear you thinking." The fingers inside me started moving, thrusting in and out while simultaneously scissoring open. "I'm going to have to up my game."

"Fuck, just... ah." Garrison's fingers hit a particularly sensitive spot and my legs trembled. "Just fuck me already."

"Hmm, no." Garrison struck the same spot again with deadly accuracy. "You said you don't want to think. Yet, you still seem coherent. No, I'm going to have to put in a lot more work."

A third finger joined the first two, straining the rim of my hole as it stretched to accommodate the new addition. All three fingers massaged against my prostate. The constant pressure on such a sensitive spot made me tremble and my forearms slid down the wall until I was nearly bent over.

An orgasm built under my skin shockingly fast. I moaned and curled my hands into fists, eager for the inevitable release.

Yet, before I could tip over that edge, Garrison suddenly stopped and pulled his fingers free. "Seems like you're ready."

I groaned in frustration and looked back over my shoulder. "I thought you were going to help me?"

"I am." Garrison grabbed something out of sight.

The sound of a crinkling wrapper had me twisting my spine to an uncomfortable angle to see what was happening. I watched as Garrison rolled a condom down over his cock and tried to ignore the feeling of disappointment that such a sight brought.

I wanted to feel Garrison inside me without any barrier between us. The demand to get rid of the condom was on the tip of my tongue, but I kept the words behind my teeth. Although I was certain that we had nothing to worry about— I'd snuck a look at Garrison's medical files and knew the man was clean—giving up such protection would require trust from both sides.

I was ready to trust. I already trusted Garrison with my life. Trusting the man with my health seemed like a step down in comparison.

But did Garrison trust me?

Probably not.

I'd lied to the man, after all.

No, we would need to work up to that level of trust. So, for now, the barrier remained between us.

Condom in place and wrapper tossed aside, Garrison's hands returned to my hips.

I braced myself, expecting Garrison to push inside me just like he had with his fingers. Instead, I gasped in surprise when Garrison pulled me backward instead. My limbs flailed as I found myself sitting on Garrison's lap. His cock slotted between the globes of my ass.

Promising, but distinctly not what I wanted.

Letting out a high-pitched whine, I tipped my head back to rest on Garrison's shoulder. "Now you're just being mean."

One of Garrison's hands slid up my chest to rest lightly on my collarbone. "This is what you asked for." Garrison's breath heated the side of my neck. "You wanted me to take control. That means we go at my pace. So, relax and enjoy it."

He let our hips grind together, his cock slowly sliding against my hole without breaching inside.

That went on for several minutes. It was a slow kind of torture. So close to the fulfillment that I wanted, but never taking the last step. There were a few moments where it seemed like Garrison might be lining up to finally start fucking me properly. The head of his cock would press against my hole, just one thrust away from slipping inside. Yet, each time it would slide right past, and we would return to our slow grind.

My recently denied orgasm already left sparks dancing under my skin. The constant stimulation against my sensitive rim had me panting. I could barely get the words out as I begged.

"Please, come on. Hurry up. Garrison, just... fuck. I need you inside me already."

Warm lips pressed a line of kisses up my neck before Garrison spoke directly into my ear. "You really are a spoiled brat. Someone needs to teach you patience."

Despite his words, he finally gave in to my demands. Wrapping one arm around my waist, he held them tightly together as he finally thrust inside.

I moaned as Garrison's cock filled me much more than even three fingers had. My hands scrambled for purchase on the arm wrapped around me. I wanted to push back against Garrison, but our position didn't really allow much movement from me. All I could do was relax and submit to the invasion of my body.

This wasn't the first time we'd slept together. However, the position was new. Something about it made Garrison feel bigger than normal, and it seemed to take forever before the other man was buried all the way inside me. I felt completely split open, and pleasure ran over my skin like static. I expected Garrison to pull back out and start thrusting to really get us going, but the man stayed still.

A minute passed and nothing happened. We merely remained there, panting together until our breathing matched. I squirmed, trying to find more friction.

Garrison's arm tightened around my waist, keeping me from moving. "Stay still." His other hand ran down my stomach with a light, ticklish touch. "You're going to learn patience."

The voice speaking directly into my ear sounded serious. I knew Garrison's mind wouldn't be changed. My only choice was to obey. I tried to sit as still as possible as Garrison let go of my waist so both hands were free to wander. They ran up and down my body, toying with my nipples and caressing my thighs. With each touch, more pleasure sang through me and slowly pooled in my belly.

I jumped when Garrison's hands finally made contact with my weeping cock. The grip was light, fingers dancing over the shaft rather than gripping it firmly like I wanted. I gripped Garrison's hand, trying to coax the man to stroke me properly.

All I earned for my effort was a slap to my knuckles.

Message received.

I kept my hands out of the way by resting them on my own knees.

Although I couldn't see it, I could feel Garrison's grin as the man breathed praises against my ear.

"Good boy. Sit properly and take your lesson."

Garrison stroked my cock with such a light touch our skin barely made contact, while his other hand continued to explore the rest of my body.

All the while, I trembled as I forced myself to sit still while speared on the other man's impressive cock. My inner muscles seized around the hard shaft, desperate for more stimulation. I tipped my head back, exposing the long line of my throat, and counted my breaths. Each beat of my heart was a fight for control, and I was determined to win.

A sharp pinch on my thigh broke my concentration. My hips jerked, pushing Garrison's cock deeper inside me. It hit something sensitive, flooding me with a bright burst of ecstasy. I nearly came on the spot. One more touch would have been enough to send me over the edge.

Instead, Garrison removed his hands completely from my skin.

I whined a wordless protest as my body kept twitching with need, driving the other man deeper and deeper into me.

Garrison's voice was low and soothing when he spoke. "Calm down. I'm not done yet."

Only when I finally managed to regain control and sit still did Garrison's hands resume their attentions. He gripped my cock a little firmer this time, one finger toying with the barbell piercings along the underside of my shaft.

"I didn't get to explore these too much last time. How long have you had them?"

A minute passed before I realized Garrison had asked a question. "Four years."

Garrison pushed on the end of one of the barbells, causing the bar to slide back and forth under my skin. I bit my lip and tried to ignore the delicious ache it caused.

"I got the first one on a drunken dare, but then I liked it, so I went back for two more."

With his thumb, Garrison pressed down on the lowest piercing. The gentle touch created a delicious ache, like stretching a sore muscle. It was a mix of pleasure and pain that made me shiver.

Seemingly growing bored playing with only one piercing, Garrison shifted his grip to massage upward, letting his thumb ride the hills and valleys of each bar. "I've never thought about it before, but now I'm curious."

I shuddered and slumped forward. Only Garrison's arm around my chest kept me upright. "Curious?"

I was jerked backward so my back pressed flush to Garrison's chest. The man started stroking my cock in earnest, while also leaning in to nip at the junction of my neck and shoulder.

"Curious what these will feel like when you fuck me."

All at once, my stomach dropped into an endless abyss. Pleasure shot through me like lightning. My orgasm was sudden and strong, causing every joint in my body to lock up.

I couldn't even make a sound as I came. Just trembled as wave after wave of pleasure hit me all at once.

It wasn't just the shock of hearing a curse word fall from Garrison's lips, although that was also a surprise. No, what really pushed me over the edge was the insinuation that we'd be doing this again in the future.

Did this mean Garrison wasn't going to leave?

My climax finally ended. With a sigh, I slumped against Garrison, but the man didn't loosen his hold. As I regained my breath, I became acutely aware of the hard shaft still buried inside me and stretching me open.

I wasn't even surprised when Garrison gripped my hips and lifted me up a few inches only to immediately let go. I dropped back onto Garrison's lap, and the man's cock plunged back inside me.

"No, wait... I can't..." My words could barely be heard around my moaning. I may as well not have spoken at all as my pleas for mercy went unheeded. Strong hands kept a hold of me, bouncing me on Garrison's lap. Over and over, I was lifted and pulled back down, forcing Garrison's cock to slam right into my prostate each time.

I rode the line between pleasure and pain as nerves already overstimulated from my orgasm were repeatedly assaulted.

A line of spit dripped from the corner of my panting mouth, but I didn't even have enough strength to wipe it away. I was a ragdoll being ruthlessly fucked by my master.

Garrison seemed determined to make it last as long as possible. Each time the man neared his own end, he'd slow down. Then, after a moment to regain his composure, he'd speed up again with even more enthusiasm.

I wasn't sure how long it went on for. It felt as though I'd passed out, though I remained completely conscious. My own arousal slowly came to life again, bobbing between my legs in time with each thrust.

A voice in my head reminded me that my hands were free. I could take care of my own arousal if I wanted to. My fingers twitched with the desire to do so, but I couldn't find the strength to raise my arms.

One of Garrison's hands slid down and gripped my cock, giving the shaft a few hard strokes. That was all it took to push me over the edge again.

We came at the same time, trembling together as we rode out the last of our pleasure. I nearly face-planted into the floor the moment Garrison pulled out of me. I braced one trembling hand against the carpet to try and stay upright, but I could already tell it wouldn't last. Every muscle in my body seemed to have been replaced with Jello.

I didn't even have the strength to struggle when strong arms wrapped back around me, and I was lifted off the floor. Garrison carried me to the bed, where I was gently laid out over the mattress.

I closed my eyes and floated on a cloud of cotton and silk. I heard Garrison walk away but didn't bother to open my eyes. The only thing in that direction was the bathroom.

A minute later, Garrison returned with a wet washcloth.

The water was warm, but I still groaned in protest as Garrison cleaned us both up. The moment it was done, and the washcloth was gone, I pulled him into the bed with me. Hard muscles covered by soft skin made for much better bedding, and I cuddled against Garrison like I was getting ready to hibernate.

We lay together in silence for a while, both drifting on the edge of consciousness.

Judging by the clock, at least an hour passed before I felt capable of talking. Keeping my head pillowed on Garrison's chest, I looked up at the other man with curious eyes.

"It's probably too early to ask, but... Earlier you mentioned wanting to sleep together again. Was that just sex talk, or..."

Garrison took a deep breath, causing my head to rise and fall. He didn't answer right away. The weight of so many different words danced behind his eyes as he considered them one by one.

"It's true that I would like to know how it feels to have you inside me. There are a lot of things I'd like to experience with you. Whether or not I get to know these things, however, is up to you."

I sat up so I could look Garrison directly in the eye. "Up to me? How so?"

Again, Garrison didn't respond right away. He stared at the ceiling, watching some far horizon only he could see.

"You asked me once about my tattoo."

Not sure what to say in the face of such a non sequitur, I merely nodded and waited for Garrison to continue.

"Each field cross represents a fellow soldier I saw die. A few happened over the years I served, but most were lost on my last mission."

The rest of the story lingered in the air between us, eager to be told. Yet, Garrison struggled with the words. He opened his mouth several times like he was about to start talking, but each time he would scowl then close it again.

Though I still didn't know what this had to do with his question, I figured a little prompting couldn't hurt.

"To lose so many people at once, I'm guessing something went wrong."

I had never counted the number of field crosses on Garrison's tattoo, but there were enough to completely encircle the man's right bicep.

One of Garrison's hands tangled in the hair at the base of my neck. He toyed with the strands there, seemingly unaware that he'd turned me into his own personal fidget toy.

"I'm not sure if something went wrong, or if we just never had all the information in the first place. It was a standard mission. Intel said there were enemy combatants in the area, so we came prepared."

The hand in my hair stopped and lay still against the base of my neck. I didn't speak. I barely dared to breathe for fear of breaking the moment.

"We weren't prepared for child soldiers. There were five of them, pointing guns at us they could barely lift. The oldest one couldn't have been more than ten. If they were adults, I would have shot them on sight. But I wasn't prepared for kids. None of us were."

A hitch in Garrison's throat distorted his words. He coughed, trying to cover the emotional reaction, but at such close proximity I could see the lights dancing off repressed tears in Garrison's eyes.

I chose not to comment on any of it and instead pushed my head into Garrison's hand to encourage him to play with my hair again. The action made me feel like a cat begging to be petted. In the span of a few minutes, I'd gone from fidget toy to emotional support animal.

Yet, it worked. Garrison's voice returned to normal, and he was able to talk clearly again.

"I could tell from the looks on my comrade's faces that they wouldn't be able to do it. They couldn't kill children. I was the one in charge. It was my responsibility to protect my people. But I hesitated. One of the kids managed to pull the trigger and shot me in the knee. It set off a survival instinct in me. For that brief moment, I no longer saw children. All I saw were enemies. I killed all five of them."

I remembered the first time I'd had to kill someone. My father had set it up so that I could "get a taste for it". The gun had trembled so badly in my hand that I missed my original target. Luckily, it had still been a fatal shot so no one noticed how badly I'd messed up.

I'd been a teenager then. Practically a kid myself.

In the years since, I'd killed enough people that my hands no longer shook. Yet, I still couldn't imagine what it would be like to kill a child.

"At least you saved your people."

I cringed the moment the words left my mouth. I couldn't have been more insensitive if I just shrugged and said, "well, it could be worse."

Luckily, Garrison didn't seem to hear mw, too caught up in his own memories.

"It was all so pointless in the end. Those kids weren't meant to be a real threat. Just delay us. With my knee shattered, I couldn't keep up, so I sent my people ahead. I should have realized it was a trap. About a minute later, a bomb went off. Since I was so far behind, I avoided the main blast radius. But the rest of my people..."

Briefly, with delicate fingers, I touched the edge of a particularly long burn scar that wrapped around Garrison's ribs. "That's where you got the scars on your back."

Garrison nodded, though his gaze never left the ceiling. "Close enough to feel the heat, but far enough away to avoid the worst of the blast. Though it did throw me across the street. A few of my people were also far enough away that the blast didn't immediately kill them. But that was worse. Instead of a quick death, they suffered for a few days until they died from their burns."

Sighing heavily, Garrison moved me off him. At first, I thought Garrison was going to leave. Perhaps recounting such memories had been a way to explain why he couldn't accept my position in a mafia family.

However, Garrison didn't leave.

Instead, the other man rolled over on his side, so he and I lay face to face.

"I spent the last few days thinking about the things I've done in the past, and what I'm willing to do in the future. But, before I can give you an answer, I still have one question I need to ask."

"Anything." It was a simple response, but I meant it. There was nothing Garrison could ask right now that would be too invasive. How many people I'd killed in his life. How many laws I'd broken. The details of my family's business. It was all on the table.

Instead, Garrison only asked, "Why?"

It was so simple that I had to ask for clarification.

"Why did you hire me as your bodyguard? I'm sure your family already has plenty of muscle on the payroll, and hiding the truth from me only put you in danger since I didn't truly know what I was guarding you against. So, why take that chance?"

Even if I could have brought myself to lie to Garrison, I knew I'd never get away with it. The man was too perceptive. It was a wonder I'd managed to hide the truth about my family for so long, and that was mostly by avoiding direct lies as much as possible.

"Honestly, I didn't take the threat on my life seriously at first. My previous bodyguard got killed at the club, so I needed a new one anyway, and I was annoyed about having to take over for my father. I thought it would just be a temporary thing. You were attractive, and seemed interesting, so I thought you could keep me entertained. It was like a game. But then, things did get serious, and I actually was in danger. For the first time, I looked around and realized that none of the people around me were really mine . Everyone worked for my family, and I would inherit their loyalty from my father. Aside from Ghita, and maybe my mother, no one was loyal to me because I was Alex. They were only loyal to me because I was a Mariano."

I smiled and sat up, wrapping my arms around my knees as I looked down at Garrison. The only time I ever got to see the man from this angle was when we were in bed, both naked and vulnerable.

"Except for you. You had no idea about the Mariano name, but you protected me anyway. It made me feel safe. I don't remember the last time I truly felt safe around someone."

Garrison sat up as well. The softness of the mattress meant that it was impossible to sit without slouching a little. This put their eye lines at exactly the same height.

"I've realized that I'm not as bothered about the whole mafia thing as I probably should be. It was the lying that actually upset me more. I've killed people before. I've followed orders that would be a crime if they came from anyone other than the military. However, there is one line I will not cross. If I stay and continue to support and protect you... can you promise with absolute certainty that I'll never have to harm another child?"

I suspected that for Garrison to stay, we would have to find some sort of compromise. I'd worried about what Garrison would demand, and if the price for the other man's loyalty would be too steep.

This was the easiest promise I'd ever made.

"I promise I will never ask you to harm a child in any way. I have no plans to ever involve children in my family's affairs again." I placed a hand on Garrison's knee, just above the edge of the brace. "And if, for some bizarre reason, such a thing is necessary, I promise I will find someone else to handle the job. That's not something you'll ever have to worry about."

At these words, Garrison released a heavy sigh and the stiff line of his shoulders relaxed. "Then I think we can make this work."

With an agreement reached, we lay back down on the mattress together with my head pillowed on Garrison's shoulder. The lights were turned off so only starlight was left to illuminate the room. The trees outside created mosaic patterns over the floor that spun with each gust of wind.

I watched the play of dark and light, breathing in the peaceful atmosphere. A deep knot in my chest finally relaxed, and I took what felt like my first proper breath in days.

Eyelids drifting closed, I was almost asleep when Garrison interrupted the silence.

"You know, we still need to figure out who's actually trying to kill you."

Oh, yeah. That was still a problem. I had been so distracted by not dying, I'd almost forgotten about the threat that started everything in the first place.

"You know, I might have an idea about that."