His jaw ticks. He doesn’t answer immediately. I know he’s thinking the same thing I am. If we push too hard and she runs again, it’ll break something in him that might not come back.
“We have to be smart,” I add. “If she even gets a whiff of betrayal, we could lose her for good.”
Axel huffs, annoyed. “Who cares. We’ll chain her to the bed and make her hear us out.”
I raise a brow.
Okay, well… now that he’s said it, I don’t entirely hate that idea.
A small smirk tugs at my lips. “Kinky.”
He shrugs, unbothered. “Desperate times.”
I lean back against the headboard, dragging a hand through my hair. The room is quiet, tension humming in the air. He turns, resting his head on my stomach, his fingers still absently tracing my skin.
“We’ll figure it out,” he murmurs. “Let’s at least keep that idea on the back burner.”
I nod, staring up at the ceiling, thinking of Lina’s smile. Her laugh. The way she looked at us like we were the safest place on Earth.
We have to find her.
Not just because we needher, but because I know some part of her needsus, too.
Chapter 5
Sean
Outside Marcus’s door, I slide my “worker bee” mask back on. Neutral face? Check. Steady hands? Check. Blank eyes? Double check.
I knock twice.
“Enter,” he calls, quickly followed by, “report,” as I step in. He doesn’t even bother looking up.
“Nothing new, boss. Yesterday, she spent most of the afternoon at the salon, followed by a quick trip to the mall. We were in and out. Today, she stayed in. Hasn’t left the apartment.”
Of course, I’m talking about Aro. I always am. Marcus is paranoid as hell, and he loves to pretend he’s got eyes on everything when really it’smedoing all the watching. He’s the one out here cheating on Aro like it’s a sport, but somehow, he thinksshe’sthe one to worry about.
Not my circus, not my monkeys. I just do what I’m told.
Mostly.
What I don’t report is how anxious she’s been since that Lina conversation. How her eyes flick to every shadow, every open doorway, every unfamiliar face. How she always checks the exits now. She’s on edge, and I don’t know the full story, but I wish I did. There’s more to Aro than she lets on. More to Lina, too. I can feel it in my gut, and my gut’s rarely wrong. But unless she decides to trust me, all I can do is wait.
“Good man,” Marcus says, tossing me a wink like he’s doing me a favor.
I nod back, playing the part, then turn and walk out without another word. I make my way back up to the penthouse. As soon as I open the door, I spot her.
She’s barefoot. Tank top slipping off one shoulder. Cotton shorts that barely qualify as clothes. Hair in a messy knot, cheeks still pink from the shower. Her face lights up when she sees me.
“Sean! Come on, you’re missing it!”
She pats the couch beside her like a golden retriever inviting a cuddle. I kick off my boots and cross the room, sinking down into the cushions. She immediately curls into my side, her bare legs folding beneath her, her cheek pressing to my shoulder like it belongs there. And maybe it does.
Fuck me.
She thinks I’m gay. That’s the only reason I got this job, and the only reason I get this soft, unguarded version of her. She changes in front of me without hesitation. Asks for my opinion on lingerie. Tells me when she’s bloated or horny or sad. She’s completely herself. No filter. No walls.
I love this side of her that no one else gets to see.
