For so long, I couldn't imagine a future.
Couldn't see past the next day, the next hour, the next moment.
But lying here in Levi's arms, wearing the necklace he gave me, still trembling from the pleasure we shared—I can finally see it.
A life. A real life. Not just surviving, but living.
"I made a wish," I say softly. "When I blew out the candle."
"I thought you couldn't tell me."
"I changed my mind." I lift my head, meeting his eyes. "I wished for this. For more nights like this. More birthdays. More chances to be happy."
His hand comes up, cupping my face. "You'll have them. I promise."
"You can't promise that."
"Watch me."
He kisses me then—soft and sweet and full of all the things we don't know how to say. And I let myself believe him.
Maybe it's foolish.
Maybe the world will crash down around us tomorrow.
But tonight, in this moment, I choose to hope.
I choose to believe that the future is worth fighting for.
I choose to live.
CHAPTER 12
Leviathan
I need to talk to Salvo.
The thought hits me at three in the morning, lying awake while Ripley sleeps beside me.
I've been turning things over in my head for hours—Varro's vendetta, the club's issues, the impossible balance between love and duty—and I keep coming back to the same conclusion.
I'm in over my head.
I've led this club for years.
Made hard decisions, navigated dangerous waters, kept us profitable and alive when lesser organizations crumbled.
But this is different.
This is personal in a way nothing has ever been before, and personal makes me stupid.
I need perspective. I need wisdom. I need the man who taught me everything I know about leadership.
At dawn, I slip out of bed, leaving Ripley curled in the warm space I vacated.
She murmurs something in her sleep but doesn't wake.
I watch her for a moment—the peace on her face, the way her hand reaches for where I was—and something in my chest tightens.
