"Yeah?"
"Yeah." She lifts her head, meeting my eyes. "But I have conditions."
"Of course you do."
"I need honesty. If the club's doing something I should know about, something that could compromise my integrity, I need you to tell me. Give me the chance to decide if I can live with it."
"That's fair, but the same goes for you. If you're writing a story that could impact the club, I need a heads up. Not editorial control, just a warning."
"Deal." She extends her hand like we're sealing a business agreement. "Partners?"
I shake her hand, then pull her in for a kiss. "Partners in everything."
"Good." She settles back against me. "Now can we please sleep? I'm exhausted."
"Thought you had stamina."
"I lied. You destroyed me."
I laugh, pulling the blanket over both of us. "Sleep. We've got time to figure everything else out."
She's asleep within minutes, her breathing deep and even. I lie awake longer, staring at the ceiling and thinking about the future we're building. It's not conventional, probably not sustainable long-term, and definitely going to be complicated.
But it's ours. And that makes it worth fighting for.
My phone buzzes on the nightstand.
Vulture:
Media outside the gates asking for Ava. Told them to fuck off. Let me know if she wants to do a statement.
I type back quickly.
Me:
She'll handle it tomorrow. Tonight she's busy.
Vulture:
With you, I assume.
Me:
Where else would she be?
Vulture:
Fair point. Don't break her. We need her functional for those interviews.
Me:
I'll do my best.
I set the phone aside and pull Ava closer, feeling the weight of her against me. This woman crashed into my life like a hurricane, turned everything upside down, and somehow made me believe in things I'd written off years ago.
Love. Future. Something beyond the club and the violence.
She stirs in her sleep, murmuring my name, and my chest tightens with emotion I don't have words for. Whatever comes next, whatever challenges we face, we'll handle it together.
