"Can I think about it?"
"Take all the time you need." Hawk stood, clapped a hand on my shoulder. "Whatever you decide, what you did tonight won't be forgotten. Oh, and one more thing," Hawk added, pausing at the door. "Jake's prospect period—I'm moving up the timeline. Kid's proven himself. Church will vote on his patch next month."
Something warm bloomed in my chest. "He'll be thrilled."
"He's earned it. Partly thanks to you." Hawk's dark eyes held mine. "Family takes care of family. You're learning that faster than most."
He left. I sat in the quiet common room, tea cooling in my hands, and tried to process the seismic shift happening in my life.
Axel found me on the roof an hour later.
I'd needed air. Space. The city lights spread out below like scattered stars, beautiful and indifferent. I heard his boots on the gravel, felt him settle beside me on the ledge.
"Jake's sleeping," Axel said. "Maria's watching him."
"Good."
Silence stretched between us. Comfortable. Charged.
"You scared the shit out of me tonight." His voice was rough. "Walking toward Slash like that. Offering yourself up."
"I had a plan."
"You had a pen and a death wish."
"The pen worked." I glanced at him, saw the tension in his jaw, the fear he was trying to hide. "I'm sorry I scared you."
"Don't be sorry. Just—" He exhaled, dragged a hand through his hair. "Don't do it again. I can't—" He stopped. Started over. "When I saw you walking toward him, I thought?—"
"What?"
"That I was going to watch someone I care about die. Again."
The raw pain in his voice cracked something open in my chest. I reached out, took his hand, laced our fingers together. "I'm not going anywhere, Axel."
"You can't promise that."
"No. But I can promise I'll fight like hell to stay." I squeezed his hand. "That's what I was doing tonight. Fighting to stay."
He turned to look at me, and the emotion in his grey eyes stole my breath. Want and fear and something deeper—something that looked terrifyingly like love.
"Hawk talked to you," he said. "About the vote."
"He did."
"What are you going to say?"
I looked out at the city, at the lights that had become familiar over these past few days. Thought about Maria's tea and Irish's jokes and Tank saving my grandmother's vase. Thought about Jake's tears and Blade's knowing smile and the prospect room that smelled like leather and safety.
Thought about Axel. His scars. His nightmares. The way he kissed me like I was salvation and ruin all at once.
"I'm going to say yes."
His breath caught. "Kai?—"
"I'm tired of being alone." I turned to face him fully, let him see everything I was feeling. "I'm tired of empty apartments and solitary dinners and pretending I don't need anyone. You offered me a family. I'm saying yes."
He moved so fast I gasped. Then his mouth was on mine, his hands in my hair, his body pressing me back against the rooftop ledge. He kissed me like a man drowning. Like I'd thrown him a lifeline.
