“Ronan…”
His jaw flexes. His gaze sweeps me — the cuffs, the bruises, the blood dried beneath my nails.
Then his voice breaks, rough and raw:
“I’ve got you, Hart.”
For the first time since the day I was taken…
I believe it.
12
Ronan
Location: Level Three, Ascendancy Facility
The second I see her, the world narrows to a single point.
Lena.
She’s alive.
Bruised. Pale. Barefoot.
Cuffed.
Shaking.
But alive.
Two bodies lie at her feet — guards I dropped without hesitation. Smoke curls from the muzzle of my rifle. My breath is a ragged rush in my ears.
Her eyes meet mine, wide and glassy, and something inside my chest fractures so violently it steals my air.
“Ronan…”
Hearing my name on her lips almost brings me to my knees.
I move before I can think.
Fast. Controlled. Methodical.
Except for the shaking in my hands when I reach her.
I holster my sidearm, grab the cuffs, and snap them apartwith a breaching tool. The metal clatters to the floor. Her wrists are raw and red. Rage punches through me so hard I have to bite down before I break something — or someone.
“I’ve got you, Hart,” I whisper, my voice rough. “You’re safe now.”
Her breathing stutters, like those words hurt more than the cuffs.
She sways — and I catch her, one arm around her waist, steadying her. She flinches from the touch at first, instinct, trauma… but then she leans into me, just barely.
That tiny shift detonates something in my chest.
“Ronan… I didn’t know if—”
Her voice cracks.
