Kina reached over and just barely touched my arms—so casual, but Jesus, I felt it like an electric shock. "I need to know you'll be there when it matters, that we won't have to be scared."
That knocked the wind out of me. My whole body buzzed, heat shooting up in my cock. Absolutely not the time or place for this reaction, brain.
My head spun for a second, trying to convince myself she meant what I thought she meant. But this wasn't about secrets or anything forbidden. It was about hell, just surviving. Trust. That razor-thin line every woman here has gotta tiptoe without backup—till now, anyway.
So I coughed, trying to sound like I had my act together. "Hey, don't worry. I'll keep you and your baby safe. Promise."
Kina laughed—like really laughed, her whole body in on the joke, all relief and sunshine. "Yeah, I know you will," she said, bumping me with her elbow.
