Chapter 38

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I scanned the area, searching for Red. The sounds of the aftermath of the fight were still echoing around me, but I wasn’t focused on that right now.

My eyes were locked on one thing—where the hell was she? My pulse was still racing from the chaos, but something else was burning in my chest—anger.

I spotted her a few feet away, kneeling next to one of the wounded locals, completely absorbed in trying to fix whatever was wrong with the guy, her fiery red hair hanging in her face. She was focused, too damn focused, while I was over here losing my shit because she hadn’t listened. Bullets were flying, and she was out here playing Florence Nightingale, completely ignoring my fucking orders.

She disobeyed me. She ignored my orders. And now I was fucking furious. Not just at her, but at myself. I let her get under my skin, let her distract me in the middle of a firefight, and that could’ve gotten us both killed. Hell, she should’ve been dead. One wrong move, one stray bullet, and she’d be lying there in the dirt, all because she couldn’t follow a simple fucking order.

My fists clenched at my sides as I stalked toward her, heart hammering in my chest. She didn’t even see me coming. Too wrapped up in her little rescue mission.

I didn’t say a damn word when I got to her. Didn’t trust myself to, really. I just pulled the necklace from my pocket and shoved it right in her face, olding it out in front of her like it was a piece of evidence in some crime. Her green eyes snapped up, wide with shock, and she froze. Those steady doctor hands of hers trembled as she reached out, taking the necklace from me without a word.

“Thank you,” she whispered, her voice all soft and unsure, like she didn’t know if she should even be saying it.

I didn’t respond. I didn’t have anything to say to her right now. I turned on my heel, ready to walk away before I said something I’d regret, but I barely made it two steps before I heard her call out again.

“Wait.”

Of course. She couldn’t just let it go.

I heard her mumble something to the woman she was helping. A second later, she was coming after me.

Her voice had that edge, the one that always got under my skin. She was mad that I was mad—typical.

I stopped, jaw clenched, fists still tight, waiting for her to catch up.

“What?” I asked, keeping my back to her.

I didn’t want to look at her right now. Not when I was this pissed. Not when my head was all over the place because of her.

“Are you mad at me?” she asked, her voice quieter now, but still with that stubborn undertone.

Mad? Fucking understatement.

I spun around, glaring down at her like I could burn the damn message into her skull. But when I opened my mouth, the words didn’t come out the way I planned.

“You didn’t listen,” I said, my voice low, angry. “I told you to stay put, and instead, you were running around, bullets flying everywhere. You could’ve been fucking killed , Red.”

Her face fell. I expected her to argue, to fire back with something about how she was doing her job, how she was here to help. That would’ve been easier. But she didn’t. For once, she just stood there, looking… guilty.

Her eyes softened, her shoulders slumping slightly as she looked down at the ground for a moment, then back up at me.

“I’m sorry,” she said, and for a second, I wasn’t sure I heard her right. “I should’ve listened. I shouldn’t have gone off on my own. From now on, I’m under your command.”

That— fuck . That wasn’t what I expected. Her words hit me harder than I wanted to admit, and for a second, something else flickered inside me. Her saying she’d fall in line, listen to me—it shouldn’t have affected me the way it did, but fuck, it did.

Before I could even respond, she was looking up at me, her green eyes steady, waiting for my reaction. I felt my chest tighten, my body reacting in ways I didn’t want to acknowledge. But of course, with her, nothing was ever simple. Nothing ever was.

Her lips parted slightly, and my eyes couldn’t help but flick down for a split second, betraying me. She was speechless, for once, and that almost made me lose it.

Before I could stop myself, I grabbed her chin, forcing her to look up at me. My fingers were rough, but I didn’t care. She needed to see what she was doing to me—how she was screwing with my head, distracting me when I needed to be focused.

“You have no idea what you do to me, do you?” I asked, my voice almost a whisper.

She didn’t say anything, but her breath hitched, her eyes searching mine. And then, just like that, everything else fell away. The anger, the frustration, the fear—all of it was swallowed up by this intense, undeniable pull between us.

My head was a mess, and she was right there, too close and too perfect.

Without thinking, I closed the gap between us in one quick motion. One second, I was just glaring at her, fuming with frustration. The next, my hand was on the back of her neck, pulling her in.

I didn’t give her time to react. Before she could say another word, I yanked her closer, and kissed her. Hard. My lips crashed against hers, swallowing whatever curse or insult she was about to throw at me. Her fists balled against my chest, as if she wanted to push me away, but instead, she pulled me closer.

Her hands gripped my jacket, and she trembled against me, kissing me back just as fiercely, like she’d been waiting for this as much as I had.

I felt the heat of her breath, the softness of her lips, and it was like a goddamn explosion in my brain. I slid my tongue against hers, demanding and fervent, feeling her response in the way she kissed me back. It wasn’t gentle. It wasn’t slow. It was fierce and insatiable, driven by something primal and uncontrollable.

I bit her lip, just enough to make her gasp, and that sound—it nearly drove me over the edge. I wanted more. Needed more. My fingers tangled in her hair as I kissed her deeper, hungrier, taking everything she gave, devouring every little sound she made. It was a collision of everything I’d been trying to keep at bay, all of it channeled into this fucking kiss.

But then, as quickly as it had started, reality came crashing back. The sound of footsteps, the distant voices of my team still doing their job. I didn’t want to stop. Hell, I couldn’t. But as my tongue traced the seam of her lips, ready to deepen the kiss, I heard a sharp voice cut through the haze.

I pulled away, breathless, my forehead resting against hers for a second before I stepped back.

“Rogue!” Raven’s voice hit me like a bucket of cold water. I turned to see her jogging toward us, her expression serious. “We need to find shelter. Now.”

Before either of us could say anything, the woman Red had been treating earlier approached us. She was older, her face worn from years of hard living, but her eyes were sharp. She looked between me and Red, probably sensing the tension, but she didn’t comment on it. Instead, she spoke in her broken English, quiet but cautious.

“I... live in, uh... a place,” she started, struggling for the right words. “Not church... but... similar. Holy place.”

I frowned, trying to figure out what the hell she was getting at. A mosque, maybe? Didn’t really matter.

“Five rooms,” she continued, holding up her fingers like I couldn’t fucking count. “Big enough. My husband... family. We live there,” she hesitated, her eyes darkening with sorrow. “My family... killed. By...” She trailed off, pointing toward the body of the asshole we just put down.

I tensed, instantly on edge. “Who was he?” I asked, my voice flat.

The old woman spat on the ground, disgust twisting her face.

“He was a monster. He... controlled this village. For long time. Hurt many people.”

She looked back at me, her eyes filled with something like gratitude. “You killed him. You got us food. You freed us.”

I glanced at Raven, who was standing a few feet away with her arms crossed, listening in. Pyro and Viper were close by, looking as wiped out as I felt. We were short on everything—food, water, ammo. And we had no fuel. Staying put wasn’t exactly a great option, but we didn’t have much of a choice.

I motioned for Raven, Pyro, and Viper to come over, and they gathered around, forming a small circle as we discussed our next move.

“Thoughts?” I asked, glancing at each of them.

“We’ve got nothing,” Pyro said, rubbing the back of his neck. “No fuel, barely any supplies. We need to rest and regroup.”

Raven nodded, her usual sharpness dulled by exhaustion. “We can’t go anywhere without fuel, and we’re not in any shape to fight off another attack.”

Viper shrugged, his usual cocky attitude nowhere to be seen. “It’s better than sitting out here in the open. At least in there, we’ll have some cover.”

I exhaled, weighing the shitty options. We were screwed either way, but the mosque was our best shot for now.

“Fine,” I said, nodding toward the woman. “Lead the way.”

She smiled, though it was a sad, weary smile, and motioned for us to follow her. The rest of the team fell in behind her, boots kicking up dust as we made our way toward the old mosque.

As we started to walk, I caught a glimpse of Red, trailing just a few steps behind me. I was still pissed, but then I noticed her slipping that necklace back around her neck, the one her dad gave her. The way her fingers gently clasped it, a small smile spreading across her face, like it meant everything. And for just a second, she smiled, this small, innocent grin that didn’t belong in this fucked-up world.

And fuck me, something tightened in my chest. Maybe it was pride, or maybe it was just relief.

Fuck, I didn’t know why it got to me, but it did. For a split second, I let myself enjoy it.

I forced my attention back on the path ahead. The village felt empty, like the locals had all vanished into thin air. Only the occasional rustle of fabric or the distant chatter of children reminded me that people still lived here. But they were scared—probably of us, but definitely of the bastards who had just been running the show.

When we got to the mosque, it was as dilapidated as it had looked from afar. The walls were crumbling, the roof sagging in places, but it would have to do. At least it was cover.

“This’ll have to do,” I muttered under my breath, more to myself than anyone else.

I turned to the woman and nodded. “Thanks. You’ve done enough.”

She gave a slight bow and retreated into the shadows of the building, disappearing just as quietly as she’d come.

The place wasn’t much, just five small rooms, probably used for storage or whatever passed for sleeping quarters around here. But it had walls, a roof, and most importantly, it was defensible.

Looking around, I felt the weight of responsibility settle even heavier on my shoulders. We needed a plan. Fast. I motioned for everyone to haul their asses over.

“Listen up,” I said quietly. “We’re securing the area. Two people on watch always , and we’re rotating shifts. I want someone on the roof, and another patrolling the perimeter. Eyes on every approach, especially that main road. Someone so much as blinks wrong, I wanna know about it. Got it?”

Raven, standing off to my left, crossed her arms and gave a curt nod. “I’ll take the first watch.”

“I’ll join you,” Viper added, already reaching for his rifle like he couldn’t wait to get out of here and back into action.

I still didn’t trust him, not fully. There’d been too many things lately that didn’t add up, and he was at the center of it. Something about him was off.

I gave Raven a look, wordless, telling her to keep an eye on the bastard. She gave me a subtle nod in return. No need for words between us. We’d been through too much for that.

“Good,” I said, meeting their eyes. “Stay sharp, both of you. We don’t know who else might be out there. Could be locals, could be insurgents. Either way, I don’t want any surprises.”

They nodded and slipped away, heading for the staircase that led up to the roof. I watched them go, feeling a small sliver of relief knowing we had eyes on the place. But the relief didn’t last long. It never fucking does.

I turned back to the others. “The rest of you, find a corner and crash. We don’t know how long we’ll be holed up here, so take whatever sleep you can get.”

Everyone nodded, too tired to argue. They shuffled off in different directions, looking for whatever corner they could collapse in.

I scanned the room, my gaze landing on Red. Before I could even open my mouth, she slipped away without a word—no thanks, no acknowledgment, just fucking gone.

My jaw clenched, fists tightening at my sides, but I didn’t chase her. There wasn’t a point. She knew what I thought already, and right now, we had bigger problems than whatever the hell was going on between us.

I found a small room in the back, if you could even call it a room. Four crumbling walls and a ratty mattress thrown on the floor. The only other piece of furniture was a small desk, covered in dust. I wasn’t expecting the Ritz, but damn, this was bleak. I sat on the edge of the desk, the wood creaking under my weight, and let out a long breath, trying to clear my head.

I dropped my gear and took a seat on the edge of the desk, the wood creaking under my weight. My eyes landed on a small prayer book lying on the corner of the desk, the pages worn and yellowed with age.

It wasn’t in English. I couldn’t read a damn word, but I opened it anyway, flipping through the delicate pages, not really sure why. Maybe I was looking for some kind of answer, something to make sense of all this shit. But if God existed, he clearly didn’t give a fuck about us.

That much was clear. We were here, in the middle of this war-torn hellhole, trying to survive, and every day felt like a battle we were barely winning. The bastard we just killed, the traitor who’d sold us out… none of it made sense.

Someone had tipped off the insurgents, and we’d walked right into their trap. But who? Viper? Someone else? The pieces weren’t fitting together, and it was pissing me off.

But one thing was for sure—our captain knew. He fucking knew he was sending us to die, and I wouldn’t be surprised if that son of a bitch was in on the whole thing.

I lit a cigarette, the smoke filling the room as I took a long drag. The exhaustion was creeping up on me, but sleep wasn’t coming anytime soon. My brain was still spinning, trying to piece together the puzzle.

Fuck, I’d kill for a drink right now. But I pushed the thought aside. I had to stay sharp, even if every part of me was begging to just… stop.

A knock on the door dragged me out of my head.

“Come in,” I grunted, not bothering to move.

The door creaked open, and there she was—Red, standing in the doorway. Her eyes were tired, her face smudged with dirt and sweat, but she still had that stubborn look on her face. The one that always drove me crazy.

“Rogue,” she said quietly, stepping into the room.

And just like that, everything else disappeared. The mission, the traitor, this death trap we were in—it all faded to the back of my mind. All I could think about was her, standing there in the dim light, looking at me like I was the only person in the world who could understand her.