My laugh is shaky. “I’m afraid to ask.”
“You still love things. Even after all of that. You still built a place full of light and books and weird pastries. You still let Elijah in. You’re still trying.”
I look at him and tears spill. Quietly. Silently. And I don’t feel embarrassed.
Because I think he gets it.
“You’re not broken,” Gabriel whispers. “You were just never given the room to be whole.”
From across the room, Sebastian closes his book. His voice, soft but serious:
“Elijah doesn’t let people into his life. Not really. But you? You’re in. And he’d burn the city to the ground before he let someone hurt you again.”
Chapter thirty-four
Elijah
Thebuildingissleekand unmarked from the outside, Kingston Security doesn’t advertise itself. If you know, you know. And I know.
I park around the back, where the tinted SUVs are already lined up like black sharks waiting to strike. Inside, everything is controlled, cold, and pristine. Frosted glass. Polished concrete. Minimalist lines. But what hits me hardest is the quiet power. The feeling that nothing happens here without them knowing.
Keller meets me at the security door with a nod. “They’re already in the war room.”
War room. That’s what they call it, and I get it. Inside, the tension always feels one step away from ignition.
Kade is seated at the head of the long glass table, fingers steepled under his chin. Kai’s in the corner, arms crossed, his jaw tight. Kaleb, dressed like he just walked out of a luxury club ad, lounges near the screen, but even he’s wound tight. Keller leads me in and shuts the door behind us.
I don’t waste time.
“What did you find?”
Kade leans forward, tapping a button on the tablet in front of him. A screen flickers to life, showing grainy stills from the night before. Surveillance footage. Kaleb rewinds it, slows it down, then hits pause.
“There,” he says. “1:12 a.m. Hoodie. Mask. Gloves. He’s smart, but not good enough. He didn’t know the outside camera two stores down was angled enough to catch part of his plate.”
He brings up another image. I move closer.
“You get a match?” I ask.
“Not yet,” Keller says. “But if it’s in the system, we'll find him. Could be a fake, could be stolen. But we’ll find out.”
Kaleb leans in, voice a little softer. “He was methodical. He wasn’t looking to steal. He was making a statement. The spray paint? The overturned tables? All of it was meant to rattle her. To rattle you.”
Kade’s eyes are sharp as they meet mine. “Elijah… this guy isn’t just obsessed. He’s escalating. Fast.”
I clench my jaw. My hands curl into fists at my sides.I know.
Kai moves forward now, flipping through a few more photos. “He left the note under the counter. Taped, almost like he didn’t want it to blow away if the door swung open. The message is the same—he’s fixated. Possessive. And he knows about you.”
That makes something primal rise in my chest.
“We need to find him before this gets worse.”
“We will,” Keller says. “But you need to keep Ava close. No solo trips. No routines. We’re upgrading the store’s security, but for now—”
“She’s staying with me,” I say before he can finish. “She doesn’t want a bodyguard, but she’s not staying there alone. Not happening.”
Kade nods once. “Good. Because you’re not just protecting her heart now. You’re protecting her life.”
