I squeeze his hand. “You came. You found me.”
And that’s the only thing that matters.
He pulls my hand to his lips and kisses the back of it. “You’re safe now, baby girl. You don’t have to be scared anymore.”
But I still am.
Not of George. Of how much it shattered me to think I’d never see Elijah again.
“Where are we going?” My voice comes out hoarse, frayed from crying. It barely sounds like me.
Elijah tilts my chin up gently, his thumb brushing along my jaw. He presses a soft kiss to my lips—just a whisper of contact, but it steadies something in me.
“To the Kingston estate,” he says, his voice low, careful.
“There’s a medical team waiting to look you over. And if Mia doesn’t see that you’re okay… let’s just say Asher won’t survive the night.” He gives a quiet, breathy chuckle, trying to lighten the air. It almost works.
Then he adds, “If you’re willing and up for it, we’d like to hear what happened. Why was George there? Why did he had Henry’s body? But only ifyouwant to talk about it. No pressure.”
His voice is so soft I almost miss it. Like he’s afraid anything louder might shatter me.
I swallow hard. My throat feels raw. “Where… where is…”
I can’t finish the sentence. Can’t sayhisname.
Elijah knows exactly who I mean.
“In one of the other vehicles,” he answers gently. “He’s being transported to a private holding cell the Kingstons use for interrogations.”
A beat of silence passes between us.
“Are you going to kill him?” I whisper. I don’t even know why I ask. Part of me already knows the answer, even if it’s one I’m not sure I’m ready to hear.
Elijah doesn’t respond right away. He reaches up and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear.
“Ava,” he says quietly, “now might not be the time for this conversation. You’ve been through enough in the last few hours to last a lifetime.” He pauses, searching my face.
“How about this—once the doctors check you over, I’ll run you a bath. You can eat something, rest if you want. Andifyou feel strong enough… we’ll talk. About everything.”
I nod.
Because he’s right. I need to feel like myself again before I can face anything else—especially a conversation about ending someone’s life. Even if that life belongs to a monster.
Chapter forty-two
Elijah
Bythetimewepull through the gates of the Kingston estate, Ava's asleep against my chest. Her body is curled into mine, wrapped in a blanket, and I can feel the occasional tremor still running through her.
It’s hard to tell if she’s cold or still in shock. Probably both.
The SUVs fan out across the front drive like a tactical unit returning from the field. No one speaks. Not Keller. Not Kai. Not even Gabriel, who’s usually quick to break tension with some snide remark.
Everyone knows the weight of what just happened. And everyone knows the storm hasn’t passed yet.
The only thing I’m thankful for right now is that I have her in my arms — safe, breathing, alive.
But I’m not naïve. I know that whatever George did to her, whatever she went through in that room, it didn’t end when we pulled her out. Trauma like that doesn’t stay locked in a warehouse. It follows you home. It sits in your chest and waits for the quiet to come before it breaks you open.
