Alex did not let her frantic rambling continue.
Reaching up, his long fingers cupped the side of her neck, his thumb sliding up to press firmly against the trembling swell of her lower lip. The quiet, unyielding weight of his touch physically cut off her apologies mid-breath, forcing her chaotic panic to a sudden halt.
"Hush, Naomi," Alex murmured, his thumb slowly tracing the line of her mouth as his dark eyes held hers captive. "Apologies don't suit you."
Naomi froze, her chest heaving against his ribs as his absolute calm washed over her like cold water.
With a faint, mocking smile curving his lips, Alex lifted his other hand into the dim light between them. Loosening his curled fingers, he revealed a mangled, high-caliber tungsten slug resting in his open palm, still radiating a faint trace of heat.
Naomi's breath hitched in her throat as she stared at the twisted metal.
