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She kissed hi deep, Damen You knoouldn’t”

“I want to believe—”

“Then believe,” she urged “Believe in me as much as I’ve believed in you Just understand—the way I have to understand with you—that we’re not whole people We’ve been shredded We have difficulty piecing together absolutes until we’ve tapped every resource in order to find the truths we’re looking for, the truths we thrive on We’re not perfect, separately, and… We won’t be perfect conjoined”

“That’s where you’re wrong, Doc,” he said, his intensity returning “When we’re together, we make perfect sense When we’re conjoined in any for fucked up about us is that we both have past trauma”

She licked her bottom lip, and added, “We both have current trau me and you have to protect er”

“No one’s getting to you,” he sith notable conviction “Or your co I will preserve everything I will ensure that you never lose that connection with your husband, Nikki”

She gasped

He pinned her with an intent look and said, “My desired result is not to wipe away your past with aand brave and determined to save lives”

Although tears suddenly burned the backs of her eyes at his words and his insistence, her gaze didn’t falter as she asked, “What is your desired result, Damen?”

“To move us forward To move both of us forward”

Damen knew every admission they made put their hearts in jeopardy

He’d never lost his before

Nikki Balentine-Kane had virtually had hers ripped from her chest

When he’d told her this was no ga of the intel they had in their possession and a terrorist faction willing to kill theet to it He was also talking about what transpired between hi she held near and dear Protect it as though it were his own, because he didn’t want her devastated again

Nor did he want her to resent hi up in this position