Skin Dive by Ava Gray

for the moment, focusing on another aspect of the situation. “But to reaffirm, as long as we lose Kestrel, and then go back to living like normal people, they shouldn’t be able to locate us, right?”
    “That’s the next bullet point. I’ve got more news and it’s all bad.”
    She braced. “I’m tough, I can take it.”
    “They’ve put us into the system as terrorists and set a merc on us. And he’s good. I did a little digging on him before I came to get you. I don’t know yet what kind of news coverage we’re getting, if any. Just because they’ve added us to a wanted list doesn’t mean anyone is paying attention. It might not be that big a deal.”
    Yeah, right. She could tell when he prevaricated.
    “Aw, fuck.”
    In reaction, Gillie leapt to the worst-case scenario. Given the right connections and sufficient media interest, their pictures would be plastered all over the place, making it impossible to lay low. Since their escape, she’d watched the news, trying to catch up on current events, even though it was always relentlessly grim, and she knew how this stuff worked.
    “You see why I’m worried.”
    “Yeah. I guess I should call Mick and quit my job.”
    “It’s not the kind of place where you need to give notice. It’s time for us to get out.”
    She curled her hands into fists, nails biting crescent moons into her palms. “I’m not going back. I’ll die first.”
    “Shh.” Taye stroked a hand across her hair. Funny, he’d touch her only if she needed comfort, as if she were a child, not a grown woman. He did much the same, soothing her, when she lashed out. “They won’t take you again. I promise, Gillie-girl. That much, I can do for you.”
    If she hadn’t been fighting fear, she might have asked him to explain what he meant by that much . Like he thinks he’s no good for anything more. But she could think only about leaving this apartment. Even though it wasn’t much, besides Taye, it was all she had.
    She turned her cheek into his palm, seeking his overwhelming heat. For brief, precious moments, his fingers traced along her cheekbone, thumb lingering as if her skin were the sweetest thing he’d ever touched. His gaze lingered on her lips—and then she saw the moment he remembered who she was. Gillie the innocent, Gillie who must be protected from herself.
    For the first time, she drew away before he did. “I’ll pack. There’s no point in wasting time. If you say it’s serious, I know it is.”
    He flinched and averted his eyes. “Don’t trust me like that. Not me.”
    Always lines like that. Trust me, but not completely. Touch me, but not like you want to. Stay with me, but not really. Not forever. Taye could break a woman’s heart with his inconsistencies. She ignored his idiocy in favor of getting her backpack. His was already packed. While she stuffed clothes into the bag, Taye paced, head canted. Maybe his mood was rubbing off on her, but she sensed the unnatural stillness, too. There were no dogs barking, no rush of tires on damp, salted streets. Since it was after three in the morning, that could be why.
    But she didn’t think so.
    “Are we sure about the time frame? How long ago did you talk to Mockingbird?”
    Gillie shrugged back into her winter coat. She opted to go without gloves, which would make her clumsy. His mouth compressed into a grim line as he met her at the front door.
    “Too long. Stay behind me.”
    “I will. I swear.”
    Taye led the way. She flinched at every creak of the stairs, every shadow that trailed along the wall. Her breathing sounded impossibly loud, whereas he turned to silent ice. She wanted to be fearless. It was easy to dream about adventure when you were the princess locked in the tower, but what happened when you got free and realized you had no ability to survive? Being helpless made her angry, and that fire in her belly dominated the fright.
    On the ground floor, the stink of sickly sweet copper overlaid other smells.