Damian's Assassin

"I know what you meant," he said and returned to hacking at the dummy.

"Or that," she said with a husky laugh.

"I screwed up."

She stepped into his view, and he dropped his arms, throwing back his head to suck in deep breaths.

"How many times have you picked me up after I fucked up?" she challenged. "And everyone around you. So you fucked up once in your entire life. She's smart enough to figure out what to do."

"That's not the point," he snapped.

"Does it matter?"

He glared at her, unable to shake the sense that if Bianca hadn't thought smarter than him, she'd be dead. With all the Guardians in the western hemisphere and god-powers granted him by Damian, he'd been the weak link. It was his job to protect humans, and he hadn't been able to protect one woman in his own home! He'd never been afraid of anything in his life until that moment when all his power and control meant nothing. Just like when his sister died. The pain threatened to cripple him again.

Her gaze raked over him, but she kept her distance.

"Give yourself a break. You've been run ragged for too long. You don't eat, you don't sleep. I should start charging you for taking the edge off as often as I do. Not that I don't appreciate the favor," she said.

"Someone's gotta save the world!" he snapped.

"And you will. This isn't gonna help you, though."

"I could do something more useful, like help Toni plan operations," he allowed.

She rolled her eyes. "I was thinking more along the lines of you going in there and claiming her. But, whatever."

"Don't have time, don't want the drama," he replied and swiped his T-shirt from the ground. He placed the sword in a rack with others and exited into the night.

Besides, I'm going to die this weekend. The cool rain felt good against his hot skin, and he stood in the dark walkway between the gym and the house, soothed by the storm.

He missed Damian and Jule. He didn't realize how much until he actually needed their brutal take on reality to ground him. As the baby of the three, he'd always been the rock star among them. He'd never been alone. He wasn't used to failure, and he didn't know how to take it.

He wiped his face and walked into the kitchen, starving. Several of the Guardians were gathered in the informal dining area at the far end of the kitchen, laughing and talking as they played cards. His gaze found Bianca's curls. She sat between Darian and Jonny across from Toni and two others. There was a plate of cookies on the counter and the scent of dinner lingering around the oven.