For a while, sleep doesn’t come. My brain spins. My muscles won’t unclench. My breath gets stuck on every memory I thought I’d already buried.
But then I remember the heat of Saint’s chest. The weight of his arms. The way he held me like I wasn’t broken or fragile, justworth protecting.
That thought is heavier than fear.
Eventually, it pulls me under.
I fall asleep to the soft sound of his voice, drifting through the walls, and the steady, unfamiliar comfort of knowing someone else is standing guard.
Chapter 4
Saint
Myfatherusedtotell me that anger was a sin. That it opened doors for the devil. I always thought he was full of it, until I learned to channel anger into something useful.
Anger kept me alive overseas.
Anger stopped a van full of trafficked women from slipping past my checkpoint.
Anger is what makes me calm now, instead of punching holes in these log walls.
The message on Nadia’s phone is a threat, but it’s also an opportunity. It tells me her stepfather still has resources. It tells me he doesn’t know exactly where she is. It tells me we need to tighten our perimeter.
I call Havoc first. He answers on the second ring.
“Problem?” No preamble.
“Got a text from Nadia’s stepfather to her new number,” I explain, keeping my voice low. “He says he has friends everywhere.”
Havoc grunts. “Fucking Richard Smith. Probably bluffing. He’s been trying to mess with Viper’s head all week. Still, we tighten things up. Stay put at the safehouse tonight. Ghost is working angles near the Wolves’ place, keeping eyes on their movement. We’ll be ready if they make a move.”
“Copy.”
“How’s she holding up?”
My eyes stray to the bedroom door. I can hear her breathing slow into sleep.
“Better than I expected.”
“You good?” Havoc asks, and I know he’s not asking about my ability to fight.
“Always.”
I hang up and call Viper next. He answers with a growl.
“Tell me she’s safe,” he snaps.
“She’s safe. Sleeping. Got a message from that asshole we put away.”
There’s a string of curses, then a long inhale.
“I’ll kill him,” Viper says softly. “He’s behind bars, and I’ll kill him anyway.”
“We’ll handle it. Focus on planning with Ghost. If the Wolves make a move tonight, we need you sharp.”
“Copy. And Saint?”
“Yeah?”
