Chapter Fifteen

Mila

It's been months since I made the decision to change my fate and follow the path I wanted to take more than any other. More than that, I get to be with the man I love, and in his own way, I know he feels for me too. Overcoming Reed's past was always going to be an obstacle, but it was a challenge I was willing to take. He was worth it. In return, I only ever wanted a man who saw the darkest part of my soul and wanted me anyway. I do not regret the decision that led me here.

Even with the threats that are mounting against Rogue, I'm certain that we'll be a force against it. I'm finally finding my place and I know what I can do for Rogue. Tapping my fingers with glee on the steering wheel of the stolen car, I hold my acceptance letter on my phone for online college classes. I'm going to be a medical examiner. We know in this line of business what living people will tell us, but I'm more interested in the secrets the dead hold. Particularly when we find bodies or parts of bodies. While I like helping Reed, and I'm good with a computer, I want to do more for Rogue. With the right training and degree, I can be an extra set of eyes and the first to respond when an autopsy is needed. I can also assist in reading records of autopsies for the team.

My gaze swings toward the abandoned warehouse Reed is currently in with our latest trail of intel: a low life of epic proportions, but Reed is certain he can get the answers Rogue needs. It's been almost four hours of torture for today, so I'm hoping Reed is almost done with the man. I want to share my news with him as soon as I can. I'm also ready to be on our way back home. I miss the desert heat and sprawling cacti. These humid and balmy areas are not for me. Then again, neither are the frigid and vacant areas of my home state.

I shuffle in the seat, ready to go in and see if I can assist Reed in any way right when the door swings open. Reed stalks out, his dark t-shirt looks wet, but I know it's from the blood of our enemies. It's streaked down his arms and splattered on his neck. He motions for me and I get out quickly.

"Douse it."

We spill gas all around the building and inside before Reed pulls out an old school match and strikes it against the paper. A bright flame flickers in front of my face before he tosses it down. All our handy work goes up in flames.

"We need to move." He ushers me back inside the driver's side and I slide into the seat. I drive us away from the scene, far enough not to get caught but close enough so that we can watch and make sure things are burned just enough. Reed changes clothes and wipes his body down with a rag before starting on the car. I watch as he meticulously wipes every surface before adding more accelerant to the inside. With one final look, he drops another match, and we run into the brush, escaping the explosion of the car.

By the time we're two miles away, sirens can be heard in the distance.

"There really is no one out here."

Reed shakes his head and takes my hand in his. "Nothing would have been called in until someone happened to see smoke in the air."

"Did you get what you needed?" I ask, hoping the night wasn't another bust for us.

"As much as we're going to get. Whatever is happening, it's locked down. These guys have been military level shut-off. None of the usual tactics worked. Even knowing they were going to die, they aren't saying anything. "

"Is that why you left a partial body this time?"

Reed glances at me and smirks. "You caught that?"

My shoulders lift and find my body pushing into his. His eyes dance with praise and it feels like he's flirting with me over dead bodies. "Well, with the way the building was made, it isn't going to burn much. Chances are law enforcement is going to find and probably ID the guy."

"We can only hope," Reed mutters.

"Well, even if they can't ID him or report on it, I can hack a database and get information on any finger print partials, possible dental records, or whatever is there."

He stops walking and runs his fingers through my hair. The same look of wonder passes over his features that makes me feel weak in the knees. "Let's get home."

I can't help smiling in return, loving that he references it as our home. I stormed Reed's sanctuary, but he wants to keep me.

After another half mile, we finally reach where Reed's car, his lucky charm, is tucked in some brush. We get in and start the drive back home. I type our notes and send the encrypted file to Silas, knowing he'll be all over the file tomorrow. I'm sure Ciaran will want the info just as quickly. Everyone is itching to make the next move, to stay ahead of the storm that is brewing.

"Let's just say it does require us to go to New York next." I turn to Reed. His jaw clenches at my words, but I ignore it. This is a conversation we need to have because I refuse to be left out.

"It's looking like it's the most likely of places," he answers. Our eyes meet and Reed's spark with intent. "I won't stop you. I wish you didn't have to step back into the state that holds bad memories, but I won't keep you out. You're strong enough to do it, Doll. I won't take your healing away from you either."

My heart squeezes in my rib cage, his heavy words sticking in my most sensitive but also strongest parts. All I needed was Reed's acceptance. With tears in my eyes, I lean over the console and kiss his cheek.

"I'm going to be too busy to go, I think. Unless it happens in the next few weeks anyways."

Reed's gaze touches me briefly before glancing back to the road. "Why?"

"Because..." I hold up my phone for him to see. "I just got accepted to the spring semester at U of M."

Reed's body turns tense and his hand grips the wheel. I expected a congratulations or even a slam of the brakes so he could tell me how proud he was of me. I wasn't expecting the stony silence.

"Reed. Say something."

Seconds tick by and minutes slow down. Reed still holds the same motionless form. The air around is tense and chilled. "You said you weren't leaving."

"What?" I turn my body to face him, and notice for the first time the emotion behind the mask he wears. "No. No, Reed, I'm not leaving."

Reed takes a sharp turn onto a hidden dirt road and we drive farther down, away from the main road before turning the car off. Without the gentle hum of the engine, the quiet is almost unbearable.

"Explain."

I tap my phone and pull up my acceptance letter. "It's online classes. I start the spring semester but each class is online and I meet with the professor monthly by zoom to check in."

"But it's primarily online?"

I nod my head. "It's all online. Reed, I never have to leave the house, or if I do, I can take my computer."

The breath in his chest gets deeper with the passing seconds. "You aren't leaving me."

"What?" My heart plummets, wondering where we went wrong in this discussion. I never want to leave him. "No, Reed. Never."

Our gazes meet in the crowded space and I react instantly to the heat and the want in the way he looks at me. His hands come up and cradle my face. "Never leave me."

I shake my head, and tears spill down my cheeks. "I won't. I love you, Reed."

He brings his forehead against mine while we breathe each other in, in the enclosed space. The moon in the sky illuminates the ground around us, the glow is the only light in the car.

"You're my everything, Mila."

My world stops and starts with that one sentence. For the first time, it really feels like he knows I'm here for him and that it isn't temporary.

Lifting my chin, my lips gently graze his. It's enough though and soon Reed's lips are taking mine in a bruising kiss. The kind that claims and cherishes all in one. The kind that you remember on your deathbed when the best parts of your life flash in your memory.

When he pulls back, I'm breathless, and my heart feels full. Ever since that night, years ago, when my family was swept into Rogue, I'm whole and my life has meaning. I can see my purpose and I know that I can make a difference in the lives of others like I've always wanted.

Reed's lips quirk up in the corner with a smile and his eyes darken. "You're amazing. Together we're going to keep everyone safe."

"Rogue will be safe because of you, Reed. They need you just like I do." I run my hand along his jaw, loving how his scruff tickles my hand. My present and my future right at my fingertips.

"Because of us, Mila." His eyes sparkle and then my seatbelt is unbuckled and Reed is sliding my body across the counsel and into his lap.

In bloodshed, we were born. In the darkness, we found our other halves. Under the threat of danger, we'll protect our families and the lives of the innocent. Rogue is our way of life. We stand between the monsters and the weak.