Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 109245 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 546(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109245 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 546(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
Gage pulled back.
“Where is this coming from?” he asked softly. “You don’t want me?”
Scar’s breath hitched as he reached for Gage’s hand and laced their fingers together.
“No,” he said firmly. “It’s not that. It’s…”
Gage’s heart thudded, confused, hurt.
Scar tugged him. “Come on. We need to go.”
“Go where?”
Scar stroked his thumb over his knuckles. “Home.”
White Ravens
Scar
Scar walked Gage down their hall with his hand on his lower back.
He knew Gage could feel something was off by the way he kept turning toward him, and he was right.
Things had changed.
Roz’s words kept replaying in his head. Honor his beliefs. Don’t make him compromise no matter what.
Gage had been willing to give him all of himself. The most beautiful parts of him. And Scar was about to be a selfish bastard and take it.
Roz was right, he’d always been a taker. Taking didn’t require patience, control, care…or love.
He didn’t want to be that man anymore. It’s why he’d become a Raven. It was time he gave back. It was time he gave Gage the best he had.
He stopped at Gage’s door.
“Do you wanna come in?”
Scar’s chest thudded.
He wanted to say yes so badly his throat tightened.
Instead, he forced the right words out. “Not tonight.”
Gage’s smile slipped, hope draining from his posture.
“I have some business to handle,” he added, trying to make it sound normal.
Gage nodded slowly.
He caught Gage’s face with both hands and kissed him deeply, trying to force the truth inside him.
He pulled back just enough to speak against his lips.
“You’re all I want, I swear it,” he said. “You’ve been all I’ve wanted since the moment I laid eyes on you.”
Gage traced his fingers along his jaw, gentle and searching, as he listened.
Scar kept his arms around him. “But I’m trying to do right by you.”
“Right by me?” Gage’s brows pinched. “What does that mean?”
“Will you trust me?” Scar pleaded.
Gage was silent for a long moment before he gave him a small, reluctant dip of his chin.
Scar kissed him slower putting every emotion he had into it—reassurance, promise, dedication…and love.
I love him.
Within the kiss, the truth landed like a blade turned inward. He’d not only kill for Gage—but like Roz had been willing to do for Shannon—he’d live differently for him.
He pulled back and brushed his thumb along Gage’s cheek.
“Go inside,” he murmured. “And please, just trust me.”
Gage nodded again, and Scar forced himself to step away before he changed his mind.
He waited until Gage was inside before he walked into his own quarters. He shut the door and went straight to his phone.
Meridian answered on the first ring.
“What part of anonymity do you not understand?” he gritted, voice already mean and cutting.
Scar froze, caught off guard. “What?”
“You leave for three hours and become fuckin’ Instagram stars.” Meridian growled. “Yours and Gage’s video has over sixteen thousand views already. You and the goddamn ‘blind sensation.’ Really?”
Scar dug his thumbs into his eyes. He didn’t give a single goddamn fuck about that balloon game right then. He only cared about making Gage the happiest assassin in the world.
“Can’t the IT team wipe it?” Scar snapped. “Just take it down for fuck’s sake!”
“That’s not the point,” Meridian hissed.
Scar exhaled slowly, forcing himself not to go off.
“Meridian, I have something serious to discuss. I need to ask the biggest favor I ever will in my life. And I’m about to ask you.”
“Name it.”
Scar spoke with the finality of a trigger pull.
“I going to marry Gage,” he said. “And I need you to make that happen for me.”
Silence.
“I will make that happen for you.” Meridian’s tone was flat but confident. “Come to my place. Now.”
The line went dead.
White Ravens
Gage
The War Room was emptying as Roz led their field team toward the deployment bays. Ten sets of boots advancing with the same discipline as the Ravens, all of them dressed in white to match their division.
Gage stood with Scar at the end of the table, in their combat whites, hoods back for the meeting but ready to come up the second they stepped into the field.
Jo dismissed them with a short nod.
They’d prepared for a week. No further speeches or warnings were needed.
Scar touched the small of Gage’s back as they turned to leave. He wasn’t steering him. It was the silent check-in he liked to do.
They walked down the glass hallways, shoulder to shoulder, security flanking them on both sides.
The PA system came on overhead, filling each area of the headquarters.
“White Ravens launch. Field code Alpha. Dual asset deployment confirmed. All essential units stand by.”
The roof door opened and the cool spring air caressed his face.
He stepped onto the helipad, hearing its open echo and a presence so stealthy it barely made a sound.
Scar stopped.
“Oh shit, is that ours?” he whispered as if he were staring at a mythical creature.
Gage angled his head. The aircraft was quiet but awake.