Chapter 1068
“I am terrified,” he admitted, his voice breaking. “I am terrified that one day you will wake up and realize that you are holding a grenade, not a man. And you will throw me away before I detonate.”
Skye looked at him. The monster. The killer. The man who had bought a kitten because he thought it would make her smile.
“I’m not throwing you away,” she said firmly. “But you have to stop treating me like a possession you need to lock in a vault. I chose you. Trust that.”
Alistair leaned his forehead against hers. He closed his eyes, breathing in her scent.
“I will try,” he whispered. “But God help anyone who tries to take you from me. That is non-negotiable.”
They drove to the cliffs overlooking the ocean later that night. The engine ticked as it cooled. The only sound was the waves crashing against the rocks below.
Alistair had calmed down. The red haze of jealousy had receded, leaving behind a quiet melancholy.
“Are you satisfied?” he asked into the dark. “You saw him. You said goodbye.”
“I am,” Skye said. She turned in her seat. “Now tell me about the cat.”
Alistair sighed. He looked embarrassed. “It was… crying. In the rain. It was tactically unsound to leave it. It would have died.”
“So you saved it,” Skye smiled.
“I secured the asset,” Alistair corrected stiffly. “And the internet said… never mind.”
“The internet said it would make me happy,” Skye finished for him.
Alistair looked at her, his eyes glinting in the moonlight. “I don’t know how to do normal, Skye. I don’t know how to bake cookies or organize picnics. I know how to dismantle empires. I know how to end bloodlines. But I wanted to bring you something that wasn’t covered in blood.”
He reached out and touched her cheek. His fingers were rough and calloused, but his touch was feather-light.
“If you want peace, Skye, I will try to build it for you. But I am a sword. You can’t use a sword to build a house without cutting yourself.”
“Then we will be careful,” Skye said, taking his hand. “We will learn. Rule number one: no threatening global destruction when I go out for coffee.”
Alistair frowned. “But it is an effective negotiation tactic.”
Skye laughed—a genuine, small laugh. “We will work on it. Rule number two: no secrets. Liam mentioned the Cleaners. Who are they?”
Alistair stiffened. He pulled his hand away.
“Remnants,” he said darkly. “Scavengers from the old Ouroboros network. Leaderless, desperate. And dangerous.”
“Who is leading them?”
“No one you need to worry about,” Alistair said. “I am handling it.”
“Alistair…”
“Trust me,” he pleaded. “Please. Just let me handle the darkness. You stay in the light.”
He leaned across the console and cupped her face in his hands.
“Let’s go home,” he whispered. “The cat needs to be fed. And I… I need to be near you.”
They drove back in silence. When they pulled into the driveway of the Spire, Alistair got out and grabbed the pink cat carrier from the back seat.
He walked Skye to the door.
“Goodnight,” he said.
“Aren’t you coming in?” Skye asked.