Chapter Ten

LILY

Kace wraps his fingers around my chin, pulling my face back to him. I meet his eyes, and it's as if I can see inside him. For the first time since we met, I can see fear sparking back at me.

"You scared the shit out of me," he whispers, his thumb grazing across my cheek, swiping at the tears that are streaming down them.

"Is it safe now?" I whisper, leaning my head forward and pressing my forehead against his. The need to touch as much of his body as possible surges through me. He's my safety net at this point. I know in my soul that as long as he's here, everything will be okay.

"Yeah," he confirms. "Nothing will touch you now."

They're more than just words. They are a vow, a promise.

He allows me to slip down his body until my feet are firmly on the floor. One of his arms comes around my waist, allowing me the support I need as he guides me back down the hall.

My hand goes to my mouth as I see the destruction in my living room. The sofa is on its back, the side table and contents spread across the floor. Magazines, picture frames, a coffee mug I'd left lying around, and a pile of clothing I had folded the night before all decorating the small area—it looks like it's been hit by a tornado.

I spot Luca picking up my television off the floor and placing it back on the small unit where it usually resides. As far as I can tell, it isn't broken.

He turns to me, his face serious. "You all right?"

I swallow tightly and nod.

My front door is open and just inside stand two other men. One has darker skin and is huge, much bigger than Kace. His muscles bulge, stretching the black shirt he's wearing as though it's three sizes too small. He stands straight, his arms crossed against his chest, and his eyes focused on me, dark and serious, disguising any sign of emotion.

The other man I recognize as Axel, the guy I met with Kace in the hall when I left for Molly's the night Jared had his car accident. He leans against the door frame, his posture more casual. He's dressed the same as all the boys. They all wear black—dark and menacing.

"I need to call the cops," I say as I look around the disaster zone.

Axel steps forward, pushing the door closed behind him and standing in front of it, the dark man's lip curling up into a sneer.

I look to Kace nervously.

"Calm down, guys," Kace says, looking at them pointedly before turning back to me. "Lily, you don't need to call the cops."

I stare at him with wide eyes until Luca draws my attention.

"Yeah," he agrees, stepping over a broken picture frame. "The big guy over there…" he points to the large man, "… he gets a little Hulk smash when cops are around."

I continue to dance across the floor, dodging the mess of my precious items.

"And they ask so many questions," he says in exasperation. "Who are you? What's your name? Where do you live? And I'm like whoa, lady, I'm not looking for a date," Luca quips.

I clench my fists, my emotions threatening to burst through the dam once again. "Is this a joke to you?" I snap.

"Everything's a joke to him." The giant man in front of the door scoffs.

Luca holds up his hands. "Whoa now, that bloodstain there, that's not a joke. That's gonna take a lot of work to get out." My eyes follow his finger as he points to a bright red patch on the carpet. I stumble backward, Kace catching me with an arm around my shoulders.

"Holy shit," I mutter breathlessly.

"Lily, don't look. I'll get someone to clean it all up, okay?" Kace says, trying to calm me as his hand rubs at my arm.

I push myself away from him, shoving against his chest and taking a step back. "Who are you?" I cry, my eyes flicking between all the men crowding me and my small apartment dressed as though they're ready to rob a bank or something.

They all look to Kace, but his eyes stay on me, the bright blue orbs studying me, his face completely impassive and not offering me any kind of emotion or clue.

"Well?" I ask loudly. "Speak, dammit!"

Daisy barks, bouncing up and panting.

"Good dog," Luca coos. "Anyone got a treat?"

"Get out," Kace orders, his voice tight.

"Kace…" Luca warns, the humor disappearing from his face instantly.

Kace ignores him. "Axel, Eli, Luca… all of you, out. "

"Don't do it, man."

"Now!" Kace roars, causing me to jump.

The men all groan and head out the door.

Luca stops in the doorway. "You know how this ends for her," he says, his eyes narrowed.

"Fuck off, Luca."

With that, Luca sighs, allowing Daisy out the door before he pulls it shut behind him.

"How what ends?" I ask nervously, scrunching the bottom of my sleep shirt in my hands. "And who was in my apartment?"

Kace moves to the sofa, lifting it and placing it back up in its right position. "Not sure," he answers. "I'm working on it."

I sigh, my body suddenly feeling so exhausted. "Stop talking in riddles, Kace," I tell him, trying to make my voice sound determined. "This has gone too far. I meet you, and suddenly my life is being flipped upside down. Did this have something to do with you? Was I in danger? Am I in danger?"

His hands clutch the back of my sofa, his fingers digging into the cushion so hard that his knuckles turn white, and veins protrude from his arms.

"I'm an Operative."

I frown at his back. The tone of his voice made it sound as though it almost pained him to force the words out. I give him a moment, a chance to explain before I realize he isn't going to offer the information willingly.

"An Operative? What exactly does that mean?"

"I work for a secret division of the government that was developed to fight against the darkness in the world," he offers this as an explanation, turning his head to watch me over his shoulder.

Laughter bubbles up, and I can't stop it, the sound cutting through the tense atmosphere of the room. Kace doesn't smile, though. His expression stays the same.

I start to pace. "Okay. I'll play. So what… you're like James Bond ? Jason Bourne? All Covert Affairs and secret-agent man working for the CIA and MI6 and stuff like that," I manage to stifle a giggle.

I'm getting hysterical.

I can feel it.

When Kace doesn't crack, his face seeming to cringe as he speaks, "Yes." He turns, leaning back against the sofa, folding his arms as though he's expecting some sort of backlash which, of course, he's going to get.

I freeze. "You're serious."

"I work at a place called The Agency in a Division called Special Operations Seven or SO7," he answers, rolling his shoulders.

I unconsciously take a step back. "This is some sick joke. Did Luca put you up to this?" Thinking it's within his sense of humor to freak me the hell out. "This isn't funny."

He steps forward. Instinctually, I move away as he stalks toward me, fire burning in his eyes. "Does it look like I'm fucking laughing?"

I snap back at his sharp tone, my back hitting the wall as he crowds me. "No. This kind of thing… it only exists in movies," I tell him, pressing myself against the wall, suddenly very aware that if he's telling me the truth, he probably knows a hundred and fifty-seven ways to kill me. Maybe more.

He laughs, the dark sound sending a chill through me. "Luca, Eli, Axel… we all exist. And we are fucking good at what we do." One of his hands moves slowly, the roughness of his palm dancing across my flushed cheek. "We live in the darkness so others can bask in the light," he whispers. "I kill the people who are a threat to their lives."

"Kill…" The word leaves a bad taste in my mouth. "Y-You kill?"

He nods, his eyes still glued to where his hand touches my skin as though he's mesmerized. "Some people don't deserve to live, Lily. They hurt innocent people, get joy out of causing others pain. So, you want to know who I am?" His cerulean eyes burn against my skin. "I'm their karma. I'm the one who brings back the balance."

I hold my breath, my head swirling.

I can't have him here.

I can't be around him right now.

It's too much, I feel as though I'm drowning.

Bracing my hands against the wall behind me, I straighten my shoulders, holding them square and strong. "Get out," I growl quietly through clenched teeth.

His body stills, his hand still cupping my cheek gently but frozen against my face. "What?" he asks.

"I can't take this bullshit right now. I want you to get … o-out. " I hold strong even though my voice is unmistakably shaking.

His hand slams against the wall next to my head, and it takes every ounce of strength I have inside me not to scream and run. "This is not a game!" he forces out, leaning in closer to me. "You wanted to know, and I've given you the truth. The truth that could risk the lives of my whole team."

My heart thuds in my chest, and I struggle to keep my breathing even.

But it's not because I'm scared. In my head, I know that Kace won't hurt me.

I can tell he's angry, furious that I haven't just accepted his explanation.

"This is ridiculous, why should I believe you?" I argue, standing my ground.

"Think about it. The strange clothes. The odd hours. The people I know. The fact I can get into your apartment through a locked door?"

"That doesn't prove you're a spy!"

"The day you saw me in scrubs? I went to the hospital and took out the terrorist who attacked downtown DC two months ago. They said he died from his attack-related injuries… that was a cover-up. I went in and killed him, Lily, for the sake of our country. My team went in and attempted to stop the attack, but as hard as we tried, we couldn't prevent it. So we aimed to take out the terrorists at the scene. We got them all, except him. So I finished the job. That is what we do, Lily. This is what I do."

"You expect me to just accept this, Kace?" I ask my bottom lip quivering as I take all of his words in.

He shakes his head, finally taking a step back and allowing me the space I need to take a breath.

I'm freaking out. "Please, just get out," I plead, unable to fight any longer.

Kace scrubs over his head with his hand, and I catch a glimpse of the man I knew before. The darkness has released him for a moment. He looks up at me, his eyes softer now. I have to fight the urge to go to him.

"Lily, please. You can trust me. I promised I would tell you, and now you know."

I push off the wall, walking on unsteady feet toward the door. My hand shakes as I reach out and grasp the handle.

"Now you can promise me one more thing," I murmur as I turn it, stepping to the side as I pull it open and brace myself against the wall. "Stay the fuck away from me."

"Lily…"

I shake my head. "Please, Kace."

"If you talk about this to anyone, it could get all of us killed."

"Don't worry, I plan to forget this even happened!"

We stare at each other for a moment. He studies me as if to check whether I'm going to crack and spill. The air between us that once seemed so clear is now clouded with fear. As upset as I am, I feel I need to give him the reassurance that he needs. "Your secret is safe, but you need to leave."

He frowns and exhales, his nostrils flaring with a hint of anger? Remorse? I'm unsure, but he nods, and I watch as he walks forward, each heavy step seeming to pound the stake further into my heart.

It hurts.

It really hurts.

I may not have known who this man was before, but now that I do, all I can think about is how badly I want him to take it back. I was right, Kace is dangerous. Even more dangerous than I'd first anticipated.

Darkness swirls around him like storm clouds.

And inside, I ache to be the sun that will push them away and give him what he needs.

But I'm not sure if I can.

He looks over his shoulder at me as I close the door behind him, making sure the lock's flicked securely before I allow myself to drop to my knees and shatter. The tears flow freely as I sob, gasping for air but feeling like it's just out of reach.

Because it left with him, leaving me broken and suffocating.