“Because Volkov knew he was done for at that point and was about to shoot you just out of spite,” Sterling answers. “None of us could stand by and watch that happen. You’re family, Ella.”
My eyes widen, and I swallow hard. I haven’t interactedwith Sterling nearly as much as I have with Declan, and to hear him call me family has my already frail emotions ready to overflow.
“And Flores? I never saw her after I was hauled into the ballroom.”
“She’s okay,” Sterling reassures. “She’s a little worse for the wear, they roughed her up a bit, but the men holding her were tased with the rest, so she got away.”
I let out a long sigh of relief, but my anxiety is still ricocheting inside me.
Asher must sense that I’m about near my end because he takes me by the hand and hauls me off the couch. “Can everyone give us a minute?” he says, before leading me to his bedroom.
The moment the door shuts, he pulls me to him and buries his face in my hair. He lets out a devastating, shuddering breath that I mirror.
“Ella,” he whispers, his voice trembling. He runs his hands down my back and pulls me in tighter, as if he’s afraid I’ll disappear.
“It’s okay. I’m okay,” I reassure him. “It’s over, Asher. Yegor’s gone. We’re safe.”
“I thought I might lose you. Just let me hold you for a minute, please?”
We sway softly, as if we’re dancing without music. It’s been weeks since I touched him. And every day was agony. Weeks since we broke up and my heart shattered and my world crumbled beneath my feet. All the pain of those weeks bleeds between us, and all either of us can do is cling to the other for any form of comfort.
“I’m so sorry, baby,” Asher says, over and over again.
Soon, I’m sobbing into his shoulder. He bends down, picks me up, and carries me to his bed. He sets me down gently, then peels off his suit jacket. The holsters with guns strapped toeither side of him remind me of the realities of Asher’s life, and it hits me again just how dangerous today was. How Asher knew he was walking into a trap set by Yegor, and yet he did it anyway. How he was prepared for that trap until I showed up unexpectedly and changed everything.
“It’s okay, baby,” he says as he carefully takes out each gun, then unloading them, before setting them in his nightstand drawer. “You’re safe, and I’ll never let anything like this happen again.” Once he’s free of his holsters, he lies down next to me and draws me to him. My sobbing intensifies as the fear of today and the sorrow of the last month hit me with a force I can’t withstand.
Asher kisses my hair, my temples, and runs soothing hands down my back. “I’m here, love,” he whispers. “I’ll always be here.”
A soft thudstirs me from sleep. I blink, but the room is mostly dark. I must have drifted off after I cried until my tears dried up. I roll over and push myself to sit up.
Asher is sitting next to me in bed.
“Once again, it’s good to see your eyes open, Ms. Hale.”
I let out a ghost of a chuckle.
Asher reaches over and turns on the bedside lamp, then reaches into the drawer of his nightstand and pulls something out of it. A deep blue jewelry box shines under the soft lighting. He scoots next to me and places the box on my lap before opening it. My breath catches.
The Langford pendant sits inside.
“I know I fucked up,” Asher says, his voice catching. “And you were right. It was wrong to drug you and force you away, but I honestly didn’t know what else to do. Every day you were in danger, and we couldn’t track down Yegor. Letting you staywas too much of a risk, and your life is not a risk I will ever gamble with.”
“You should have talked to me.”
He lets out a long sigh. “I know. And I’m sorry. I panicked. Plain and simple. I just fucking panicked. I guess I’m hoping you can understand why, and that you can try to forgive me for it.”
“I’m still mad that you went behind my back . . . but I know why you felt you had to. It took me a while to realize that sometimes I can be just as stubborn as you.” It stings my pride and my sense of self to admit that, but Flores’s words ring through me, and I know I need to be honest with myself. I would have fought Asher tooth and nail if he’d suggested I leave. And maybe leaving wasn’t the answer, but maybe it was. Who’s to know? It’s not like there’s a manual that we could have consulted to know the best way to deal with a situation like this. I hate that Asher did what he did, but I can certainly understand that he panicked and did what he thought was best.
“This has all been a bit of uncharted waters, so if you promise to never do that to me again, I promise to really listen when you are worried about safety and to cooperate with what needs to be done.”
Asher laces his fingers through mine and rubs his thumb along the back of my hand. “I promise. I learned my lesson. I won’t let my past, or my fear, rule me anymore. My life will always come with risk and danger, and I’ll always be possessive and arrogant and crazy about security, I can’t help that, but I promise I won’t let it overtake me again. And I promise to communicate with you and consult you on things. I won’t keep you in the dark and make decisions on your behalf.”
“Thank you,” I whisper.
“You’re myhome, Ella—my everything. I will do anything, promise you anything, if you’ll give me another chance. I can’t imagine my life without you. I’ve lived that life for sixweeks, and I can’t do it for another second.” He lets out a long breath and his blue eyes shimmer with unshed emotion as he levels me with a look of raw want and need that takes my breath away. “I never expected to love anyone, and Idefinitelynever expected to love someone the way I love you. You changed my life. You changedme. And you own me—completely.” He lifts the pendant from the box. “Can you accept this again?”
I run my fingertips over it.
