Bodies slamming.
A sharp grunt.
Someone crashing into the wall.
Then—silence.
A fist rattles the door handle.
I hold my breath.
“Angel?Sabrina!”
Theo’s voice.
Rough.Urgent.Terrifyingly close.
“Angel,” he calls again.“Are you there?Are you hurt?”
Relief crashes through me so hard my knees nearly give out.
Manny tightens his grip on my hand.
And I realize something with bone-deep certainty.
Whatever this is—whatever danger followed me here—it’s real.
And so is the man fighting like hell just beyond that door to keep us safe.
“It’s okay.You stay right here, Manny,” I whisper, brushing his hair back gently before turning toward the door.
My heart's hammering, my hands are shaking—but the second it opens and I see Theo standing there, a little banged up but alive, my whole body lets go of the fear I didn’t even realize I was holding.
He’s here.
He’s okay.
And then—I don’t think.I can’t think.I just launch myself into his arms like a ridiculous damsel in distress from every romantic comedy I’ve ever secretly loved.
And he catches me.Of course he does.
His arms wrap around me like steel cables and I bury my face in his chest, breathing him in like he’s oxygen and I’ve been drowning.
“Are you hurt, Angel?”he asks, voice tight.
I shake my head, tears springing to my eyes before I can stop them.Ugh.I’m crying.Because of course I’m crying.
Like a nitwit.Like someone who just went through a near-death experience or something.
“I’m okay,” I murmur, trying to swipe the tears away quickly, even though he’s already seen them.“The man?”
“My team’s got him,” he says, his tone final.Steady.Lethal.
“You’re okay.I’ve got you,” he murmurs and kisses my head, and that does it.
God, I don’t know whether to kiss him or scream.Probably both.
“Miss Rosetto, I don’t need to use the bathroom anymore,” Manny pipes up from behind the desk, his small voice oddly serious, and I can’t help it—I laugh.
