Tainted: Book Three - Enslaved

26. Can We Keep Him?

Mira

Mingo called his mom after Gigi 'ported Kerry back to the safehouse, but, as he'd predicted, she didn't know where Darius was.

We were all dispirited and tired by the time Gigi 'port us back to the safehouse. We tucked Kerry up in bed and Gigi went to lie down, too. Jax pottered around for a bit, then went to check on Gigi and didn't come back. While Rome rummaged around in the fridge, I took myself out onto the balcony.

So much had happened in such a short time, and my brain would need a few days to process through it all. Tonight, though, all it wanted to focus on was Hell.

So when Kerry dies, that's where he'll end up. With demons kicked back in rolly chairs around a riven-splattered conference table. It's not fair—

"Can't sleep?"

Rome's voice came from over my shoulder.

"My mind's whirling." I looked out at the city lights. "We've been riding a roller coaster of chaos for the past few weeks."

"Want to be alone?"

"Nah. Come on out."

He joined me and bent to rest his elbows on the balcony railing.

"I hate New York City," he said out of the blue. "Big, noisy, too much light. I'd rather be on Opa's boat in the middle of the lake. On a night like this, you can count a thousand stars in the Milky Way."

"I'd like to see that."

"Then it's a date."

"What?" My eyes widened.

"Spring break is coming up in a few weeks." He smiled at me. "You can go home with me."

"Um."

Meet his oma and opa? I had feelings for the guy, but I wasn't sure I was ready for that yet. I mean, I'd only known him for how long? A few weeks?

Oh, stop it, girl! If he asked you to, you'd leave right now!

"No pressure, Mira." He stood up and slid one arm around my waist. "I'm not asking for anything other than for you and me to go out on a boat and watch the stars one night."

I raised my eyes to his and couldn't breathe. How many other girls had seen that tenderness in his face? Or such gentleness? Surely none, because only an idiot woulda let him slip through her fingers.

"If you want to, that is," he said when I didn't answer. "I know you're probably anxious to get your life back on track. You don't have to waste spring break hanging out with me. Someday, though, I'd like you to come. Home with me, that is. Um."

God bless his adorable, awkward heart. I wanna eat it all up.

"I would love that," I whispered.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"I would love to kiss you." His other arm went around me, and he linked his fingers at the small of my back.

"Sounds good to me."

Looping my arms around his neck, I pulled his head down. The soft, sweet kiss was everything I'd dreamed it would be.

I smoothed my hands up his neck to the back of his head, loving the prickle of his close-cropped hair on my palms. In response, his hands slid down my backside, and the dense muscles in his arms tightened before he lifted me up.

Shocked, I stiffened, and his lips broke away from mine.

"Ope! I'm sorry. I'm scaring you?"

"Of course not. It's just I, uh, I've never been picked up by a guy before."