The engine roared to life, and the car pulled out of the warehouse, the tires crunching over gravel.Chapter 737: Claire’s Secret Confession
The bathroom door clicked shut behind me, the steam already fogging up the mirror as I turned on the water. My mind was still on Claire—the way her fingers had trembled when she grabbed her things, the way her blush had deepened when she realized I’d seen them.
On Yelena, too, with her lazy confidence and teasing fire, the way she’d stretched like a cat, all knowing smirks and unspoken challenges.
I showered quickly, the hot water doing little to clear my head. When I stepped out, Claire and Yelena were both dressed and ready, their expressions all business.
Claire’s fingers twitched at her sides, her gaze darting everywhere but at me, her cheeks still flushed with the ghost of last night’s embarrassment.
She cleared her throat, her voice carefully casual. “I didn’t do anything… strange after drinking, right?”
Yelena didn’t even look up from her gun, her smirk sharp as she checked the magazine. “Oh, you did,” she said, her voice dripping with amusement. “You made the mistake all women make when they’re horny.” She finally glanced at Claire, her dark eyes gleaming. “You pounced on Jack here, trying to rape him.”
Claire’s face burned crimson. “I didn’t—” she started, her voice tight, before catching herself. “I remember. We didn’t do anything. He just carried me to the room and—” She froze, realizing she’d just admitted she remembered everything. Her blush deepened, her fingers clenching into fists.
“Nothing happened between us,” she snapped, her voice firm but her eyes betraying her. “Don’t let your imagination run wild.”
Yelena laughed, shaking her head. “Oh, I’m not imagining anything, dorogaya,” she said, her tone teasing but her gaze sharp. “I heard you.”
Claire’s breath hitched, her face flaming. “You—” she started, but then she cut herself off, her jaw clenching. She wasn’t going to dignify it with a response. Instead, she turned sharply toward the door, her voice all business. “Let’s go,” she said, her tone clipped. “We’ve got bastards to deal with.”
Yelena’s smirk never faded, but she didn’t push further. She just holstered her gun and followed Claire out, leaving me standing there, the weight of the moment still thick in the air. I was about to follow when I felt a sudden shift in the air behind me.
Claire moved fast.
Before I could react, she was behind me, her voice low and urgent. “You will not be coming with us today.”
I barely had time to register her words before something hard—probably the butt of her gun—connected with the back of my head. Pain flared, but I didn’t fight it. Instead, I let my body go limp, collapsing to the ground with a thud that sounded convincing enough.
Claire’s voice was tight, her breath uneven. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, her words laced with something raw—regret, maybe, or fear.
I kept my eyes closed, my breathing steady, listening.
Yelena’s voice cut through the silence, dry and amused. “Well, well, well,” she drawled, her tone dripping with teasing. “Looks like our Agent Claire finally grew a spine.” She chuckled, the sound light but edged with something sharper. “Or maybe she just didn’t want little Jack to see her in action. Afraid he’d get distracted?”
Claire didn’t laugh. “Shut up, Yelena,” she snapped, her voice tight.
“Oh, come on,” Yelena teased, her voice playful but her words sharp. “You knocked him out, Claire. That’s not exactly subtle.” She paused, her tone shifting into something more serious. “But you did the right thing. We both know this isn’t a safe mission. It’s a suicide run.”
Claire didn’t answer right away. When she did, her voice was quiet, her words careful. “I just…” She hesitated, her breath hitching. “I don’t want him to get hurt because of me.”
Yelena’s smirk was audible in her voice. “Or maybe you just don’t want him to see you cry again,” she said, her tone light but her words cutting deep. “Because we both know you’re terrified of that.”
Claire’s breath hitched, her voice tight. “I said shut up, Yelena.”
Yelena laughed, unfazed. “Fine, fine,” she said, her voice still teasing but softer now. “But you’re not fooling anyone, dorogaya. You knocked him out because you care.” She paused, her tone shifting into something almost gentle. “And that’s okay.”
Claire didn’t answer. I heard the sound of her shifting, her breath uneven.
Yelena’s voice dropped into something quieter, something more serious. “Take care of him,” Claire said finally, her voice cracking just slightly. “If something happens to me… tell him…” She hesitated, her breath hitching. “Tell him I’m sorry.”
Yelena’s smirk was audible in her voice. “So our Agent Claire is in love with this little boy?” she teased, her tone light but her words sharp.
Claire didn’t deny it. “Yeah,” she said, her voice defiant but her tone soft, almost vulnerable. “So what?”
Yelena laughed, the sound warm but edged with something knowing. “Nothing,” she said, her voice gentle for once. “Just making sure you’re honest with yourself.” She paused, her tone shifting into something almost serious. “Because if you’re not, solnyshko, you’re going to regret it.”
Claire didn’t answer. The only sound was the faint rustle of her clothes and the steady rhythm of her footsteps as she and Yelena moved away, the door clicking shut behind them with a finality that echoed in the empty warehouse.
I waited a few more seconds, just to be sure, before opening my eyes. A slow smile spread across my lips.
Oh, Claire.
I activated my Invisibility, my body fading from sight as I pushed myself up from the floor. With a flick of my wrist, I used Telekinesis to silently lift the door latch, slipping outside just in time to see Claire and Yelena loading the last of the weapons into the car.
Claire was crouched by the open trunk, her fingers deftly checking the magazines before tucking them into the backseat—for backup, no doubt.
I didn’t hesitate.
With another silent pulse of telekinesis, I lifted myself just enough to slip into the backseat unnoticed, settling into the shadows behind the stack of guns. The car’s suspension creaked slightly under my weight, but neither of them seemed to notice.
Yelena slid into the driver’s seat, her voice dry. “You sure you don’t want to leave him a note?” she teased, her fingers drumming against the steering wheel. “Something romantic? Dear Jack, I knocked you out because I love you.”
Claire didn’t laugh. “Drive, Yelena,” she said, her voice tight.
Yelena chuckled, shaking her head as she turned the key in the ignition. “Fine, fine. But if we die today, I’m haunting you first.”
The engine roared to life, and the car pulled out of the warehouse, the tires crunching over gravel.