Chapter 22 · New Cover

"Put this on." Levi tossed a ring across the safehouse table and it hit my knuckles before I could catch it.

Gold. Plain. Still warm from his pocket.

"What is it," I said, not touching it.

"A wedding band." He said it like he was reading a grocery list. "Congratulations. You married up."

My chair scraped back on its own, my body deciding before my head did. "After what happened tonight, you want to talk rings."

"After tonight the safehouse is burned and every face on our old paper is dead paper." He didn't look up from the passport he was stamping. "We need new names. New reason to be sharing a bed. A contract mate isn't enough anymore, they've seen that trick. A husband, though. Nobody follows up on a husband."

The floor still smelled like drywall dust from the blast two hours ago. My ears were still ringing under the ringing. Levi's hands weren't shaking, which somehow made it worse — like the building coming down on top of us was a Tuesday to him.

"You could've asked," I said.

"I'm asking now.