❝When I put on this 𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗼𝗿, I took on more 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 than any human was ever intended to have... and maybe more responsibility than my 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 can truly bear. But today... I will do my job. I will 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 you... 𝙣𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨.❞
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Natalia let her arm settle across his shoulders and the breath she had been rationing finally came out in a slow exhale. The weight came off her ankle and she hated how much better it felt.
“ Better, ” she admitted grudgingly. “ Don’t gloat . . . ”
She reached +
His gaze dropped to the ankle she’d casually added to the list,then back to her ribs. The metal fingers at her waist shifted,settling more firmly against her side careful to avoid anything tender.
“ Better? ”
A brow lifted,daring her to complain about that,too.
the stairwell. If you can get me there, I can get us out the back. ”
The widow tipped her head as if to listen for any sounds, the corner of her lips quirking up ever so slightly.
“ But they’re coming down either way . . . You can carry me out afterwards, Barnes, but +
Ankle’s complaining too, but it’ll hold. ”
She glanced down at where his metal fingers rested at her waist before meeting his gaze, her eyes narrowing. “ You’re holding that very carefully, by the way. I’m not made of glass, James. ”
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Natasha went still under his arm as if a lie was loading in her mind and she hadn’t decided what it was. Then her shoulders dropped, followed by a heavy sigh.
“ Ribs, ” she informed reluctantly, slightly leaning her weight against him. “ Don’t think it’s broken, though. +
The metal arm moved before she could disguise the wince,slipping around her waist to steady her.
Despite the strength behind it,his hold remained deliberately light,taking only as much of her weight as she gave him.
He kept his mouth shut,just as ordered .
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Natalia's phone buzzed against her palm as she thumbed out the coordinates with one hand, the other still pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Sent you my location."
She slid down into a crouch behind a stack of pallets.
"I'll hold the second floor as long as I can."
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